“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope”. Romans 15:4 NIV
One of the most powerful subject matter in Christianity is Hope. The dictionary description of hope could be said to be concise but inadequate to satisfy spiritual appetite of any genuine Child of God. The Dictionary says Hope is “to have a wish to get or do something or for something to happen or be true, especially something that seems possible or likely.” This is exactly the world’s viewpoint on this same serious subject matter. In other words. the world sees hope as a wish or a desire. It is a longing for something that may or may not take place.
People like Martin Luther and G .C. Chesterton insisted that hope is not a matter of probability. Chesterton said, “There is no medicine like hope, no incentive so great, and no tonic so powerful as expectation of something better tomorrow.” Martin Luther said, “Everything that is done in the world is done by hope.” These are in line with how this subject is treated in the Scriptures. As a matter of fact, believers are hopeless without the living word of God. The Holy Scriptures give birth to everything that represents hope. It is the very mind of God. It establishes the will of God and guarantees the destiny of mankind. The world says that hope is merely a fond wish or desire. But, the words used for hope in the Bible tell a different story. They teach us that hope is “a deep settled confidence that God will keep His promises!”
The purpose of every bit of the Holy Scriptures must never be trivialized by any serious Christian. This is because God does not make speeches in vain. He spoke with divine purposes in mind and still does same till date. Only unteachable person will not discover these miseries. This is exactly what our text today emphasizes. “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope”. It is true that God put us in today’s world to fulfill His purpose. But it is also very true that same world where God said we should dominate and multiply therein is not our final home.
Besides, satan and his agents have the privilege to reside in same world with us until they are finally judged. Their activities have directly or indirectly brought pains on man over the years. This is why The Holy Scriptures will always teach us endurance and offer us encouragement so that we do not fall by the way side.
Beloved, anyone who is far from all that the Holy Scriptures offer is simply hopeless. The only way out is to make amends and return to the Lord for grace to discover His plans and purposes as established in His Word for us. The Scripture is complete and in it solutions are available to address all situations or issues of concern to man. Are you short changing yourself by not given due attention to the Holy Scriptures? Or are we like the set of people Jesus described in the gospel reading of today who claim to study the scriptures but do not obey the Author? He said, “You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.” John 5:39-40 NIV. Let us arise and call upon God to re-create in us a heart that will study, obey and practice the divine agenda in the Holy Scriptures so that we may finally be partakers of His divine plans and purpose for man. Follow a daily plan of scripture reading and make out time to meditate on them regularly.
Your brother, Vicar & Archdeacon