Scripture for Sunday, May 14
1 Peter 3:8-22, focusing especially on verses 15-16
Additional selected Scripture on hope:
1 Peter 1:3-21, Romans 8: 18-25
I misuse the word "hope" all the time.
"Mom, can we go to the park today?"
"I hope so. Let's see if we can get all our chores done."
Translation: "That park outing is looking unlikely."
"Could we have our school friends' family over for dinner?"
"I hope so. Let's find a time."
Translation: "Not happening unless we schedule it."
In my vocabulary, "hope" frequently communicates a wished-for but uncertain outcome. It lives in the realm of my day-to-day world. That way of speaking bleeds over into my thinking about hope. It's teaching my children something about hope, too.
"Hope" in this sense often results in disappointment.
But biblical hope is something else entirely. It is a treasured certainty. It is complete confidence in a future held by God. It is guaranteed by the presence of the Holy Spirit in us. It is granted to us through the completed sacrifice and resurrection of our Lord Jesus.
Biblical hope is an unshakeable foundation for living. It's a foregone conclusion. We can fully trust that God is working in ways that we cannot see toward a final goal that we can hardly imagine.
In this passage, Peter assumes that Christian hope is visible. In fact, he says to be ready to defend or give reasons for the hope that others recognize! Biblical hope can't be disappointed or put to shame--even when the reasons for earthly hope are few.
Questions to ponder:
When or how have you noticed biblical hope in another person?
How would you distinguish biblical hope from a sense of duty to "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" when the going gets tough?
What personal stories come to mind when you think of someone giving a reason for their hope?
