On writing, William Wordsworth once said, "To begin, begin." Profound. Sometimes, the hardest part of sharing my thoughts is the beginning. If possible, one wants to find a "hook" to pull a reader into the story. Today, there is no hook. Only a beginning...and, you just read it.
This has been a hard week in our world.
We've lost some dear people in our community far too soon....four in four days.
Some friends.
Some, merely acquaintances.
All of them dearly beloved by family.
We are reeling.
Little Pagosa Springs is, as well.
But, when we are wobbling and staggering following such difficult blows, that is when we need the promises of hope the most.
Huge doses of it.
Bags of hope dropped on our doorstep.
So, yesterday, on Facebook, I asked people, who would be willing, to offer up some of their favorite promises from God's Word. I was overwhelmed by the response...and right there, snap, at my fingertips, I now have a wealth of hope-resources all in one spot. If you need to read a few, I invite you to go take a look. Maybe I'll even print them up on this blog for future reference...
There is one promise, however, from God's mouth to our hearts, that is by far the greatest promise of all.
It's one we need to consider...often!
It's one that should bolster our hope just simply by reflecting on it.
It's one we should be talking about....A LOT!
Sometimes, we casually throw out a mention or two.
The Apostle Paul talked about it so much, he actually went to jail and stood trial for it (Acts 24:14-21).
After pleading his case, in Acts 26 (a second time) before King Agrippa, Paul says, "I stand here on trial because of my HOPE (emphasis mine) in the promises made by God to our fathers..."
King Agrippa's response is worthy of pondering, "Paul, are you out of your mind; your great learning is driving you out of your mind (v. 24)!"
If we talk about this PROMISE OF HOPE, we risk others thinking the same of us.
Yet, it's critical.
Life and death hinge on it.
Eternal life and death.
What hope is Paul referring to in his testimony? The RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD.
Anastasis: a rising up again from death to life.
EVERYONE of us will come back to life following death.
It's a promise as sure as the coming sunrise and sunset.
Of course, our new dwelling place will not be earth, and, where I eventually dwell depends on what I believe.
I choose to believe in the saving grace of Jesus, who was born to die, that I might have forgiveness from my sins and the promise of living forever in HEAVEN. Oh, that wonderful place!
Daniel reminds us of the choice we make in a book named after him, Chapter 12:
"And may of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever (vv. 2-3)."
This reality is what drove Paul (and it should be my mission, as well).
This dear apostle even declared that he would give up heaven for hell (his word was "be accursed") for the salvation of others.
If he could just encourage a belief in the resurrection of the dead, and folks to receive the Lord Jesus Christ's offer of salvation, he'd surrender his place in heaven for hell.
I haven't had that much love in me.
Frankly, it's beyond my scope of imagination. But...
This has been a week that I have been reminded that life ebbs and flows.
It turns on a dime.
We never know what the next moment will bring...will I even be given another breath to take?
So, the greatest hope I can offer to my world is the hope for which Paul went on trial...the HOPE of ETERNITY.
The GREATEST hope I can offer my world is eternity.
It's true, eternity has been set in the heart of all men.
My call (our call), my mission-possible (and, yours) is to extend the hope of a better place to those with whom I share this space of life.
A place without suffering, without shame, without contempt.
A place where life shines brightly and is beyond our imagination.
So, I've asked myself this week:
"If I were put on trial, would it be because of the HOPE I've been offering? Is there enough evidence of doing so that I would be convicted? Would the judge look at me, as I sat on the stand, and say, 'Peg Forrest, are you out of your mind?'"
Oh, but I hope so!
I really do not want this to be me...
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