A Living Hope – Toni M. Babcock
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.” (1 Peter 1:3-4 ESV).
Hope comes alive in us when we focus on Jesus and on what he has accomplished, not on our failures and what we haven’t. The devil is a sly fox. He knows the murky slough of our sin and failure is where his condemnation lives— and where hope dies. But God would have us look and listen to His Son: “Behold, I make all things new…” (Revelation 21:5 KJV)
Yes, God has given us something completely new to believe and trust in — found in Christ alone. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV).
Perhaps you’ve experienced personal failure as a believer, or have stumbled on the path along the King’s highway. Don’t trudge to an empty tomb thinking all is lost, run to the empty tomb knowing Christ is risen, and alive in you! The work of salvation belongs to Him, and it was accomplished in full.
Therefore, “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised.)” (Hebrews 10:23 KJV).
Toni M. Babcock is the author of Reflections from the Heart in Light of the Gospel of Jesus, and The Stone Writer, Christian Fiction for Young Readers and Teens. Contact