Hope

I'm very grateful for Dr. Catlin filling in today while our family celebrated an educational milestone with our oldest son as he completed his college graduation. Dr. Catlin began what we both agreed would be a two-part series on "Hope." As Dr. Catlin submitted, "God meets us in the valleys of life, even when all hope seems lost." Hope is the most important in the darkest of times. Hope is a future desire and emotion. Hope is hoping for something we do not yet see. There is only one hope that does not disappoint; that hope is found in God. Because His love never fails us! These past 14 months, we have all experienced a loss of hope or a sense of isolation from hope. Take to the time to listen to his message today regarding hope, as Paul outlined in Romans 5.

In preparation for next week, open to 1 Kings 19:1-18 and refamiliarize yourself with the Old Testament account of Elijah. Elijah was isolated from hope. Sometimes we may think biblical figures did not experience the same problems we do. Job, Moses, David, Jeremiah, and Elijah were not superhuman. They wrestled with temptation, experienced failure, felt fear, and struggled with depression, as all of us do at times. Everyone at some point in their life has experienced a loss of hope. In 1 Kings 19, we will see that God can use ordinary people in beautiful ways, just as He used Elijah. Hope is found in Christ, in both the best of times and in the darkest of times! He is indeed in work around us despite our circumstances.

Thank you for the time away; I look forward to seeing each of you in the coming days as we together return from isolation seeking to be replenished.

Pastor Jeff.