Sunday, August 5, 2012

Dwell in Hope, Because That's Your New Address

We can hope in God, because He gave us His best:

"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me." (John 14: 1)

Who is this Jesus, then, that you are hoping in?

David had a vision of God the Son glorified:

"I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

"Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. (Ps 16: 8-9)

In Christ, we become prisoners of hope:

"Turn you to the strong hold, ye prisoners of hope: even to day do I declare that I will render double unto thee." (Zechariah 9:12)

When Peter quoted David from Psalm 16 on the day of Pentecost, the apostle declared:

"For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved:

"Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope" (Acts 2: 25-26)

The English does not bring out the totality of David's hope, giving the impression that hope is a place that David drops into. More accurately, the word "rest" in verse 26 actually means "encamp, take up  quarters, or tabernacle. Hope is the final resting place, one where David has thoroughly placed himself, never to be moved.

This hope houses ever believer, for Christ Himself is our hope:

"To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:" (Colossians 1: 27)

and

"For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. " (Romans 15: 4)

And the Scriptures speak of Jesus (John 5: 39)

So, dwell in hope, a confident expectation that nothing but good things are coming your way, because you are in Christ!

No comments:

Post a Comment