"Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him,my Saviour and my God." (Psalm 42:11 NIV)
Medical science is still somewhat baffled at the link between hope and healing, but there is no mistaking the healing power that hopeful people have. Those who have hope for the future have been clinically proven to have a greater chance of a successful medical recovery. But hope, or the lack thereof, affects far more than our physical wellness. That seems to be reflected in Proverbs 13:12, "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life."
Truly, there is life when you have hope. Swiss theologian Emil Brunner (1889-1966) pointed out, "What oxygen is to the lungs, such is hope to the meaning of life." Many of our viewers who call or email us are facing such difficult circumstances that they have lost hope. For example, a man named Anthony wrote, "This has devastated me. I have lost all hope and I am extremely lonely and really have no hope for change." Another person, Laura, asked a very honest question in her email, "Does this mean there is no hope?"
The Psalmist was familiar with these hopeless feelings and wrote, "Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Saviour and my God." (Psalm 42:11 NIV)
One of our Lord's best Biblical names is "THE GOD OF HOPE." The Apostle Paul used that title in his letter to the church in Rome when he wrote, "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." (Romans 15:13 NIV) Here Paul connects two of the fruit of the Spirit, JOY and PEACE, with the HOPE we receive from God. What a great package deal!
Your support of Crossroads enables us to share daily with so many who have no joy and no peace, because they have lost all hope. Thank you for partnering with us as we maximize the various media opportunities the Lord has given us to proclaim THE GOD OF HOPE. Let's keep broadcasting this Good News together!
