Struggle & Triumph | What God Says I Haveনমুনা

I Have Hope

“Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him.” Psalm 62:5

“An athlete cannot run with money in his pockets. He must run with hope in his heart and dreams in his head.”– Emil Zátopek

Emil Zátopek was an Olympic gold medalist from Czechoslovakia in the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki. He won three gold medals -- in the 5,000 meters, 10,000 meters and the marathon. The most incredible aspect of his accomplishments was that he had decided at the last minute to compete in the first marathon of his life! He must have been running with that hope and the dreams he spoke of! Sadly, the hopes and dreams that an athlete must have to accomplish great feats can be shattered in only one bad race or competition or from a bad injury. The Bible confirms the devastation of shattered hopes in Proverbs 13:12 where it states: “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.” 

Yet as Christians, we have a hope that can’t be shattered or taken away from us by any circumstances, for our hope is in Christ Jesus. He assures us that we have everything we need in Him while we are here on earth, and we have life with Him after we leave this world. He is the way, the truth and the life; He provides hope, peace and love for here and the world beyond. This hope we have is assured by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, proving He is God and able to accomplish all He promises us. And we find these promises recorded in the Bible, the Word of God. Romans 15:4 says, “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.” 

No matter if we accomplish all our hopes and dreams as athletes, or not a single one; we have hope in Christ for this life and beyond that we can never lose.

Application: Take a few minutes to think about the hope you have in Christ, and thank Him for it throughout the day today.