Your Only Hope: Fighting or Finding It?

“For in You, O LORD, I hope; You will hear, O Lord my God” (Psalm 38:15) “And now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in You” (Psalm 39:7) “Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God” (Psalm 42:5, 11; 43:5)

I don’t quite understand it – – someone throws a lifeline, a life-vest to a drowning seaman, but he rejects it! One would think this endangered shipwrecked individual, facing imminent death, would gladly grasp this life-saving equipment with all the might he can muster. But no, he chooses to sink to his demise instead. Would you believe it?

Many have been given the hope (defined as a confident expectation based on God’s promise/s) of everlasting life by reaching for the only help there is – – that which only comes from the God of the Bible. Yet for some illogical reason/s they choose to reject the free offer of God’s good news. But that’s their only hope – – there is no other!! Fighting it will only land them under God’s eternal wrath; but receiving it, will give them God’s salvation and everlasting bliss (John 1:11; 3:18, 36).

In 1945, Norman J. Clayton wrote the following insightful words:

“My hope is in the Lord Who gave Himself for me, And paid the price of all my sin at Calvary. “No merit of my own His anger to suppress: My only hope is found in Jesus’ righteousness. “His grace has planned it all – – ‘Tis mine but to believe, And recognize His work of love, and Christ receive. FOR ME HE DIED, FOR ME HE LIVES; AND EVERLASTING LIFE AND LIGHT HE FREELY GIVES!”