There is Hope

Here we are in the Second Week of Advent. What is your Hope in this world and where do you believe it will come from? Some put their hope in science, others put their hope in leaders and earthly authorities. Some place their hope in their dreams while others have no hope at all. There is only one true place that our hope needs to be, with God. 
What is hope? Hope is an expectation, an anticipation of things to come. Hope is a desire for fulfillment.  Hope is where we place our trust. We trust that people will do the right thing when it comes to making people feel better. We hope the new medications will remove what ails us so we trust the doctors to give the right amount necessary. We hope the authorities over us will make right and good decisions so our lives are not given to poverty. We trust those decisions will heal a nation and not destroy it.
All those hopes are good for our short time on earth and we hope that future generations learn from our success, failures, and mistakes. If we have no hope for the future then we are destined to destroy now. If we have no hope in a higher power we have nothing to look forward to in our own lives. Why do we hope for things without being god centered? 
Trusting Science for Healing
We are in a time of pestilence. Many look towards the doctors and scientists to heal us, find a vaccine, or maybe even a cure. For decades, man has successfully found ways of tricking the body into making white blood cells attack viruses and other diseases. Some have been eradicated while others find ways of mutating and returning. Some lay dormant for decades only to return. They put chemicals into our bodies that seem to work with little to no side effects and eventually say that the disease is cured. But they cannot cure the common cold or the flu. Their hope was in science and seemingly left God out of the equation. Without God, there is no hope no matter good the scientists are.
Trusting in Earthly Authority
We are told that God places those whom He deems worthy or whom is necessary for us to learn and return to Him. We are heading towards the end of the current age of man and we have done poorly through placing our hope and trust in everything but God. We have become too comfortable in our lives and some have chosen lifestyles that are against the natural order and procreation purposes God has set up since our creation. We need to change.
The United States and a few other countries are able to vote as to who they want leading them. Some countries have active monarchies that have existed since before the Middle Ages, while other countries are run by dictators who are so power hungry that they forget everyone else. If you look at the past, God has awarded and punished nations for living right or being disobedient through the evil inclinations of the leaders. Some of those nations survive while others get completely wiped off the map. Their hope was in the worldly things.
Trusting in Inanimate Objects and Celebrity
   Unfortunately idolatry is alive and well today. People hope they can have enough money to survive and are not the self-sufficient person that God designed. We are able to do things but without God we are nothing. Some have replaced God with man made objects or even other people that they hope will make their lives better. Instead they become lost, disoriented, destitute, and unwilling to see the Hope for the future that is in belief in God the Father.
There are folks who make these objects and people desirable for their own greed and care nothing for those who end up worshiping them. The celebrity is just another person but with talents that are being used and abused. Some are so obsessed with the need for approval that they lose themselves and turn to abusive and destructive substances and emotions. Maybe they were considered role models at one time but eventually they fall. God tells us not to boast of one’s talents and one’s sins for they will be our undoing. When people see role models fall, some ignore them, some try to pick them up, and some unfortunately choose the same path. These are the dangers we face when we idolize a person.   
There is Hope For A Great Future
When God is at the forefront of our hopes and desires we are in great shape. Placing our trust in God means that our hope relies on the many possibilities that God can guide us through. Our hope gives us the courage to make the right choices even though some may seem wrong at the time. God uses bad choices to teach us how to make good ones and help those who are in need so that they may help others. Our hope in God shows HIs Mercy and Grace upon us when we are sick, hungry, healthy, or full. With our hope placed in God’s Hands we can make it through anything. 
We hope for a Messiah to come and lead us into the next era of our existence. We might not see it while we are on this earth but if we keep hope alive He will come.

Brothers and Sisters, keep hope alive through keeping God’s Word in your heart and sharing it with others. This season do not worry but keep yourselves healthy through doing the right things. Remember, your body is God’s Temple. Do not abuse it or believe in some miracle cure all, only God can cure, only God can Save.
In His Arms,
Rob, Servant of God