HOPE FOR THE FUTURE

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

I read a story recently about a man sitting on his porch many years ago in Kentucky. He had recently retired from the post office and was feeling rather hopeless about his future. To make matters worse as he was commiserating about his bleak future, his first Social Security check was delivered. At that point he got very, very discouraged and thought to himself, “Is this what life is going to be from now on – just sitting on the porch waiting for my check to arrive?” Not wanting to live out the remaining years of his life in despair, he decided to sit down and make a list of all of the things he had going for him. He started to list all the blessings and unique capacities about his life. The list was long because he listed everything he could think of.

In the list was the fact that he was the only person on earth who knew his mother's recipe for fried chicken. It used eleven different herbs and spices. Sound familiar? He made up his mine to go to a nearby restaurant and ask if he could cook the chicken, and they said yes. It soon became the most popular item on their menu. It wasn’t long before he opened up his own restaurant, and then others, and then a string of restaurants. Eventually Harland Sanders sold Kentucky Fried Chicken franchises across all of America. He finally retired a second time - all this happened, you remember, after he had retired from the postal service. He continued in the service of the company as a public relations representative for a quarter of a million dollars a year till his death. The face of “Colonel Sanders” is still a national icon and can still be seen at every KFC franchise in the country. Not too shabby for a retired postal worker!
Now here was a man who wouldn’t allow himself to be defeated by feelings of hopelessness. He rose above the control of his emotions and went on to finish his life’s journey better than anyone would have anticipated.

The verse above reminds us that God has planned us to live with hope. He has planned to give us hope. He has planned to give us a future. Now honestly, I have to admit I’m a little disappointed with the word “hope.” Not hope itself, but with the word. The way the Bible uses the word “hope” and the way our culture uses the word is quite different. Generally when we use the word “hope” today, it’s sort of wimpy. We use the word to mean, “I wish.” We go to a movie – “I hope this is going to be a good movie.” We go through a drive through – “I hope I get what I ordered!” I wish… I hope so… all carries a high degree of uncertainty. But the Bible doesn’t use the word “hope” this way. When the Bible uses the word hope, it doesn’t mean, “I wish.” It means, “It’s a fact.” It’s an, “I know.” It’s a certainty. It’s not “I hope so…” it’s a concrete reality that is sure to come to pass because God is behind it.

How can we be sure that our future is secure? Because our future is rooted in the reality that our Heavenly Father is involved in our circumstances. Before the foundations of the earth were set in place God set a plan in place, which will enable you to live with joy when you think of your future. God didn’t plan depression or despair for your life. He didn’t plan a bleak future for you. He planned for you to live with hope and great joy. From the very beginning of time, it was His plan for Jesus to come and pay the penalty for the sin in our life. It was His plan from the very beginning to provide the means for the slate to be wiped clean and for us to be forgiven. Without the cross of Christ, we are indeed hopeless and our future is bleak. But when the plan was completed at Calvary, hope was restored and is now offered to anyone who would receive it as a free gift. If you’ve received forgiveness through the cross of Christ you can say, “I have hope - so I live with confidence.” “I have hope - so I will not despair.” “I have hope - so I can walk into the future without fear.” That’s the kind of future God has planned to give you – has given you – through the cross of Jesus.

If you are living without that kind of expectant anticipation about your future, you can change that today. Trust in God’s plan for your future and surrender to His reign and rule over your life.

“Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)

Having Only Positive Expectations,
PT