I have two sources of hope. One is a guarantee, an assurance. The other is a possibility held out to us. I tend to need to be reminded of both.
One could be summarized in Proverbs 3:5-6
(Pro 3:5-6 KJV) Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.It is stated many ways and in many places in the Bible. In the days of the Founders the word used was “Providence.” My wife likes to say, “It’s a God thing.” Either way, I have confidence in the future. That confidence is not necessarily in the future of the United States of America. The US is not mentioned in the Bible. Americans are not the chosen people. We have been blessed because we have had a significant number of people who believed the teachings of Jesus and an even larger number that accepted the basic standards of God.
Israel and Judah both went through destruction and deportation. Through that there remained a faithful remnant. Take this statement to Elijah when he was in despair at the condition of the Israel, the northern kingdom,
(1Ki 19:18 KJV) Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.Those who remain faithful will be part of that “seven thousand”. It requires a vision of eternity instead of a fixation with today’s comforts.
The other hope is found in MAGA. I was reminded of this as I cruised through my morning routine of internet sites. I came across some items about Trump and I was reminded that the one thing that unites people behind him is his belief that America is redeemable. He is not talking in terms of Biblical salvation. He is saying that if we will get off our duffs and get to work, the old principles that have lifted people out of tyranny and oppression for centuries will still work. He believes that the people of America can pull it off. Although I get discouraged at times, I still feel there are large numbers of people in this country who believe in the values and principles that are found in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
Because of my first hope I can face the future with confidence. Because of the second, I can look for places where I can be the difference. Keep in mind that the straw that broke the camel’s back has an antithesis in the bean that fell off the load.
Stay off the radar and I will see you on the other side, although I am not sure that both are possible. So stay off the radar until it is worth getting picked off.
homo unius libri
I love your blog. Your writings always makes me think more and more. I am a Christian, baptized in the Lutheran faith but have not been a church-goer since my teen years. Sometimes I ask myself: "Do I believe in God enough"? Being 77 yrs. now, that question keeps coming to me. Then I go out on my deck at night, look up to the star-filled sky, and a feeling of "sureness" comes to me, a feeling that God has an entire space of universes that exist and I know nothing of......and maybe as my life on this earth ends, I will be with Him in His universe, somewhere out there in the great unknown. So my belief continues and grows stronger. My prayers continue.
ReplyDeleteOne of the realities of the God of the Bible is that He is so big He can run the universe and know us as individuals. Anything less would not be God.
DeleteAlways good to hear from you.
Grace and peace