Day 15 - Hope in Nothing Else

Child of Hope: An Advent Devotional

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Hope in Nothing Else

Blessed is he whose help is in the God of Jacob, whose help is in the Lord his God.
Psalm 146:5

People put their hope in the strangest things. One man had an invention, “Not quite finished” that was going to make him a million. A woman played the lottery every day, spending a small fortune, because “That’s going to be my retirement.” From the outside looking in, some of these schemes smell of desperation, but from the inside they apparently seem reasonable.

Does God shake His head (so to speak) in amazement at some of the things for which we hope? From our perspective, it doesn’t seem unreasonable to hope that the stock exchange will work for us, or that the government which our taxes support will protect us. We invest our hope in people, forgetting that people fail, and that all people die. Institutions are not permanent. Banks may look rock solid, but their assets are not infinite. Doctors may have great reputations, but the death rate is still 100%, even among doctors! Armies may seem immense and powerful, but there’s usually somebody with a bigger gun. Ultimately, there is no security – without God.

God’s reserves are without equal, in fact they are limitless. His power exceeds that of any army. His healing extends beyond the grave. We are not foolish when we place our hope in Him. The world may prefer the security of a full wallet or of a loaded gun. We know that such things cannot last. We prefer to place our hope where rust cannot decay and moths cannot destroy. In the end, in whom should we hope, but God? We are blessed, beyond anything the earth can offer, when we have our treasure in heaven. The God of Abraham, of Isaac, of Jacob, and of Jesus, provides the only sure foundation for our hope.

Prayer for the day
Almighty God,
forever the same,
I praise You for Your goodness to Your people
throughout the generations.
As You have been faithful in the past,
so I believe You will be faithful for all time.
Forever I will praise You.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.