Spring has sprung—except where I live.

Here in northern New York we still have nearly a foot of snow on the ground, although moderating temperatures are bringing the drip drip drip of melting.

Us locals know spring doesn’t really arrive for another month. Yet it will come!

As the sun warms the earth and winter’s glory fades, it’s always amazing how plants in the yard that looked dead return to life. Tender shoots appear, soon to burst into lush green leaves and colorful flowers.

Our lovely lilac bush, nearly buried by recent storms, appears dead and forgotten—but two months from now will be blooming in full glory!

The Old Testament book of Isaiah prophesies of the coming of Christ, comparing him to a tender plant, yet how his life would ultimately be despised and rejected:

“My servant [Jesus Christ] grew up in the LORD’s presence like a tender green shoot, like a root in dry ground. There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him. He was despised and rejected—a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care.” (Isaiah 53:2,3 NLT)

The Son of God was crucified, fulfilling the prophecy that would make a way to restore relationship with our Creator God once again. The sacrifice of Jesus’ life would pay the price not only for the sins of all humanity, but also for our physical healing.

“Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on him the sins of us all.” (Isaiah 53:4-6) 

Yet the story doesn’t end there!

After burying Jesus in the tomb, three days later the words “He is risen!” echoed throughout the land.

For those who place their trust and hope in Jesus Christ—like the promise of spring—life begins anew: a life not free of trouble, but one of victory, of purpose, and of HOPE.

There is a blessed Hope before us—of one day reigning with Christ on a new and regenerated earth—where there will be no more death, sorrow, or pain.  

As we celebrate Resurrection Sunday, what a glorious time it is to remember not only Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf through his death and resurrection, but also the blessed Hope we have in him of life eternal.

May your heart be filled with the joy of His presence—for HE IS RISEN!

Copyright © 2018 Cheryl Elton

Featured photo credit: 3john2wellness

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The Cher-El-Sue is the name of the family boat on which I spent much of my childhood summers.

Refurbished by my father, the 29-foot long wooden cabin cruiser was named after his “girls”—me (Cheryl), my mother (Ellen), and my sister (Susan). 

We enjoyed frequent trips across Long Island Sound from our home in Mamaroneck, in the suburbs of New York City, to Port Jefferson on the north shore of Long Island. 

Often we slept overnight on the boat. I recall one particular night when I was five or six years old that we encountered a severe thunderstorm while out on the open water. As the winds howled and the heavy rain beat down, the boat began to rock wildly from the surging waves. My sister and I were crying. My dad hollered for us all to stay below in the cabin and take cover. 

Meanwhile, he hurriedly untied the boat’s anchor and threw it overboard. As the thunder roared overhead he came into the cabin and calmed our fears saying “The anchor will secure the boat until the storm passes.”

And it did. 

The anchor performed its job, stabilizing the boat. We stayed safe during the storm. 

In the context of the Christian hope, Hebrews 6:19 gives some beautiful imagery of our hope in Christ as an anchor: 

This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary. 

Our ultimate hope rests in the promised return of Christ—to a better day coming when the Lord will return to gather His believers and establish His Kingdom on the earth. Often referred to as The Hope, this future salvation and life eternal includes a new heaven and a new earth where there will be no more sorrow, tears, or death. 

How can we not take joy and find peace today, when we have such a magnificent hope as this? In light of eternity, today’s challenges grow small. Christ is, our only source of true Hope. 

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13) 

Our hope in Christ gives us stability throughout life. It provides us with strength to stay connected to the Master during difficult times when we could be blown about and lose our way. 

By trustfully remaining in His presence we experience joy and peace no matter the circumstance. 

How wonderful is our hope—the anchor of our souls.

Copyright © 2014 Cheryl Elton  

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“I hope gas prices fall.”

“I hope we have a lot of snow this winter.” 

These are common ways we use the word hope when we look forward to something with expectation and desire; or when used as a person or thing in which expectations are centered: “The medicine was her last hope.” 

When differentiating something from certainty, hope is often used as “wishful thinking.” When we say, “I hope it happens,” we’re really saying “I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I’m desiring that ‘such and such’ happens.” 

From the Greek, hope in the Bible is “the confident expectation of something in the future.” It is not wishful thinking as in “I don’t know if it’s going to happen, but I hope it happens.” 

Rather, biblical hope is when God promises something, and you put your faith and trust in that promise, even though you can’t presently see the outcome. 

Biblical hope is not positive thinking or being optimistic. While optimists consider circumstances and find the positive, those with godly hope ignore signals from circumstances. Rather, their hope is firmly fixed on the promises of God. They expect with full certainty, leaving no room for doubt. 

Hope is a part of faith. Hope is faith in the future tense. 

Is not much of faith hopeful expectation? 

Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. (Hebrews 11:1) 

If our future is not firmly rooted in the things of God through faith, it’s easy to remain anxious and fearful throughout life. Many people are. However, we don’t need to have “blind faith.” As you read through the Bible, you see that God has a track record of faithfulness. He is trustworthy. 

God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through? (Numbers 23:19)

What He promises, He performs. He promised the Messiah would come, and He did. He tells us Christ will come again, and He will. 

While optimists think they or others can, those with biblical hope know God will. 

Biblical hope also gets us away from “me” land, and allows us to love others more freely. 

Without a trust that God has a hand on our lives, isn’t it way too easy to think mostly about ourselves? Our future, our problems, our stuff. When dominating our thinking, these thoughts tend to keep us from loving others as God says we should. 

But if we allow ourselves to be taken care of by God, through hope, trust, and faith in His promises, we can then be free in our hearts to love others. 

God can carry out His purposes through us. 

When Christ satisfies our souls so deeply that we’re free to love other people, we demonstrate His love—His hope—to the world, and God is glorified. 

In hope we fulfill our reason for living!

Copyright © 2014 Cheryl Elton 

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Years ago scientists conducted an experiment to see the effect hope has on those undergoing hardship. Two groups of laboratory rats were placed in separate tubs of water. Researchers left one set alone and discovered within an hour they had all drowned. The other rats were periodically lifted out of the water and then returned. When that happened, the second group of rats swam for over 24 hours.

Why?

Not because they were given rest breaks, but because they suddenly had hope! The rats somehow hoped that if they could stay afloat for just a little longer, someone would reach down and rescue them. If hope holds such power for unthinking rodents, how much greater should its effect be on our lives?[1]

The simple reality is we cannot live without hope.

Hope adds anticipation and joy to daily living. It often shows up in small, meaningful, personal ways, giving us something to look forward to, to “hope” for. Hope also serves as motivation to do the things we need to do, knowing that something more desirable lies head.

All day a young boy eagerly anticipates Dad coming home from work to throw the ball with him in the yard…

After a busy workweek a young man and his fiancé look forward to meeting for dinner on Friday evening…

An elderly woman living alone waits for her daughter to come and have lunch with her, the highlight of her day…

Without hope, life loses its zest and we lose our sense of purpose. Hope keeps us going, especially during difficult times. When something hoped for comes to pass, it is energizing and life-giving. When it doesn’t happen, it disappoints our hearts.

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life. (Proverbs 13:12)

Each day we can bless the people around us by simply offering them a glimmer of hope through something we do or say. 

Who can you extend the blessing of hope to today?

Copyright © 2014 Cheryl Elton

[1] Story told in Today in the Word, (Moody Bible Institute), May 1990, p. 34.

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