The Hope in Our Future

This is the time of year when we consider what we've accomplished and what the new year will bring.  Better still, we Christians know who is in charge of our futures. Knowing and believing this takes so much worry and pressure off of us.

Thanks to our heavenly Father, we are always watched over by him. Psalms 33:18 and 19 (BBE) assures us, "See, the eye of the Lord is on those in whose hearts is the fear of him, on those whose hope is in his mercy; To keep their souls from death; and to keep them living in time of need."

But whenever we feel anxious or depressed, we need to read Psalms 43:5 (BBE) and ponder what it says. "Why are you crushed down, O my soul? and why are you troubled in me? put your hope in God, for I will again give him praise who is my help and my God."

Remember too that we can please our Father by doing what Psalms 147:11 (BBE) says. "The Lord takes pleasure in his worshippers, and in those whose hope is in his mercy."

And we know that God's mercies are new every morning but Lamentations 3:24 (BBE) explains why. "I said to myself, 'The Lord is my heritage;' and because of this I will have hope in him."

What a heritage that is! If it wasn't so, we'd be as Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:19 (BBE). "If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most unhappy."

Though the world may wish us a prosperous and happy 2020, we know that our eventual destination is heaven. We know too that a day will come when wickedness is banished forever. Revelation 21:3 (BBE) gives us the wonderful promise of the Father himself living with us. "And there came to my ears a great voice out of the high seat, saying, 'See, the Tent of God is with men, and he will make his living-place with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them, and be their God.'"

This promise is why I want as many people as possible to read my next book, You Think You're Going to Heaven? Far too many sincere churchgoers have never surrendered their lives to Jesus, assuming their works are good enough. They aren't sufficient and neither is sincerity a reason for salvation.

On Thursday, I hope to post about what hell is. People have so many silly and unbiblical notions about that place of punishment.