1 Peter 1:3b In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
Hope can be ‘living’ and ‘active’ or lifeless, dead and passive. ‘Living hope’ can be best explained as a profound understanding of the will of God that is oxidized by the power of His Word. In other words, living hope is the certainty of God’s will under the light of God’s Word. “I hope to go to the moon someday” is wishful thinking and lifeless hope. ‘Living’ hope is solid, firm and concrete whereas lifeless hope is fluid, soft and loose. Another major difference is that ‘living hope’ draws its sap from the nature of God and its surety from His Word whereas dead hope will be hooked on the possibilities, probabilities and propensities.
Earth’s gravity pulls the atmosphere as close as possible to the earth’s surface. Air thins out at higher altitude as the air becomes less dense than the air nearer the sea level. Thus mountaineers who climb high cliffs are recommended to carry oxygen. Everest lies approximately five miles above sea level. Dr. Jeremy Windsor, a doctor who climbed Everest in 2007 says that blood samples taken from four mountaineers in the death zone revealed that the climbers were surviving on just one-quarter of the oxygen they needed at sea level. They were absolutely fit mountaineers at sea level but died due to lack of oxygen at higher altitudes.
Metaphorically, the journey of life is like mountain hiking on high peaks and if we lack oxygen supply of the ‘living hope’, we will die spiritually. The substance of faith in our heart must be continuously oxidized by the supply of hope from our mind. Living hope impregnates the mind with expectation and anticipation to birth the promises of God in our heart. Offence, doubt and disbelief in our mind will poison the faith in our hearts.
“Living Hope” is the Powerade that vitalizes mountaineers to keep climbing:
- Firm: Be firmly rooted in God’s faithfulness. Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. God is faithful even when we are ungrateful, faithless and disloyal (2 Timothy 2:13). Living hope feeds on God’s goodness not on our Godliness. Living hope is firmly planted in God’s immovable, unwavering faithfulness.
- Fixated: Fixate your hope on the grace of Christ. Hebrews 1:13 Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace. We waver in hope as we cringe at our own faults and failures. God does not bless us because we are worthy but because of His Grace. Grace qualifies us for positions, promotions and power that have been disqualified by the world. Living hope is fixated on the grace of Christ Jesus.
- Focused: Living hope keeps us focused on His promises through tough trails or tumultuous tornados. Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing. The oxygen supply of living hope is not from momentary happenings. Hence rejections, bad diagnosis or unexpected loss cannot strangle hope. Living hope keeps us focused, joyful and peaceful at all times.
Hence we must keep sipping the Powerade of hope that keeps us alive, active and alert until we reach the summit.
Romans 15:13b ..by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, may the hope in me be vivacious, vigorous and vibrant as I oxidize it with your living Word. Amen.
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