All of us have tasted disappointment and hopelessness in our lifetime. It’s that sinking feeling of; nothing is changing and I’m on the road to nowhere. Proverbs 13:12 echoes that painful reality. “Hope deferred makes the heart sick. But desire fulfilled is a tree of life”.
As people, we were created to experience life on multiple levels and our environment can play a big role. We were designed to behold and experience beauty. And when the very fabric and infrastructure of our city is progressively disintegrating, or physical structures that have been memorials of better times and economic stability are lying in ruins, it’s easy to become hopeless. Jesus was the physical embodiment of hope to his disciples. He carried the hope of salvation and deliverance from oppression as the Messiah. So, when he told them that he has to leave them, be crucified and that his ‘body of hope’ would be torn to pieces, I can only imagine the sense of despair. But then he said this: “I’m sending another one just like me, to not only be with you but to live within you and He, the Holy Spirit will be your source of hope (John 14:16-18)”. In Romans 15:13, the apostle Paul prayed the same sentiment, “I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Let’s keep reminding one another that God is our source of hope. He gives an inner hope that is not reliant on external factors.
The good news is that when we do seek God first and foremost as our tree of life, our desires will be fulfilled. God desires that we enjoy a hopeful future. It’s His heart to bless our plans. Maybe we’ll see new development, new investment and new ideas birthed in our city. Or maybe we won’t. But most important is that we are anchored in true hope. Christ in us, the hope of Glory. – Emmanuel Archontakis of the Kingdom Ministeries in Welkom
