A 6-Day Plan on Faith, Hope & LoveНамуна

Blessed Hope

For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope — the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.

- Titus 2:11-15

Text in bold pertains to the theme of hope.

Blessed Hope

Titus reminds us that God’s grace extends to every single human being. Salvation is freely offered—like a gift. And when we receive this gift, this same grace at work in our lives teaches us to live in a manner that pleases the Lord. With the power of the Spirit within us, we can walk away from sin, choose self-control over out-of-control behavior, and wait for what Titus terms “the blessed hope” (verse 13).

He describes the object of our hope as the return of Jesus. When life grows difficult, we can put our hope in his return. In that holy moment, he will usher in the end, a time when justice prevails over injustice, where wrongs are exposed, and when we are finally, completely set free from our sinful behaviors. All our grief will be washed away. All pain will be eradicated. On streets of gold, we will experience the presence of God like never before. Joy will be our language.

Yes, you may walk through trials here and now. This world is still a broken place with broken people, and hurting people sometimes hurt other people. But there will be a day when all is made right. That is a solid, foundational hope with the power to help you persevere today.

A Prayer for Today

Lord, when things are difficult, I choose to hope in you and your return. I rejoice that one day everything will be made right. I will be made well. And the joy that follows will far outweigh the pain I’m enduring today. Amen.

A Journaling Prompt

Describe a time in your life when it was hard to find hope. How did God carry you through? What did you learn about hope in the aftermath?