Words of Hope

And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. Romans 5:5, NIV

Above the gate of Hell, Dante writes in The Inferno, is a sign that says, "Abandon all hope, you who enter here."

The Inferno is a work of fiction, of course, but in this case I think Dante has articulated an important truth. Whatever the geography of Hell, it is certainly permeated by hopelessness.

As Christians, we're to live our lives in hope because we live on this side of Calvary; the Cross casts its long shadow upon us. Satan is a defeated foe, our sins have been forgiven, and we are citizens of Heaven for all eternity. It is the hope of eternal life that continues to drive us to pick ourselves up and dust ourselves off when the trials of life knock us off our feet (if you're like me, you've collected a lot of dust over the years).

Has life beaten you down? Have you almost given up? If so, here's a reminder: followers of Jesus already have all the most important things in life. Most importantly of all, we have been given the hope of Heaven because our sins have been forgiven. As Paul says, "Hope does not disappoint us" because it is based on the reality of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus died and rose again to give us hope and a new, eternal life.

That's a truth we can cling to in good times and bad.