Daily Devotional for Tuesday, January 28

Through the Spirit We Wait in Hope by Faith

"For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith;' Galatians 5:5.

When I was in high school, I tried out every year for all-region band. I was a decent trumpet player, but if you have ever played a musical instrument, you know that all it takes is one cracked note or one missed beat to make a good performance sound like a bad one. I also knew my competition. There were some very good trumpet players in our district, and the competition was always fierce. Regardless of how well (or poorly) we felt that we did, when word got out that the results hadbeen posted, we would all literally run to the results board. Even if I felt I had done poorly, deep down I still hoped I would place in the first or second band. All of us who had auditioned had the same hopeful outlook. The thing about hope in this world is that there are no guarantees.

But hope is one of those words that should mean something completely different for achild of God than it does for our society. We say things like, "I hope I get that job," but there is always uncertainty. Hope in the Bible is more than wishful thinking. It is a confident expectation. As Christians, we do not have to hope with uncertainty that Heaven awaits; we can have supreme confidence that it does. Paul recognized the value of Christian hope, "If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable" (1 Corinthians 15:19).

Thankfully, our hope extends far past thislife, "Blessedbe the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you" (1 Peter 1:3, 4).

REFLECTION

All my hope is in Jesus. ls yours?

Chris Floyd