Living Hope

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead!" (1 Peter 1:3)

I was reading John Ortberg last night and and check out this great thought from Reinhold Niebuhr that he shared that draws a distinction between optimism and hope:

'Optimism believes in progress, that circumstances will get better. Hope, however, is built on the conviction that another reality, another Kingdom, already exists.'

Life can be hope draining. But our hope is not just in this life. It's in a King and a Kingdom. As followers of Jesus we are part of a reality that is way beyond this life and yet is buried deep within the belly of this life. It is in us. He is IN US. The Kingdom is IN US. Christ in us the Hope of Glory!

Whatever is going on today, in Christ you have hope! Pray that His reality and His Kingdom will prevail on earth and in our lives.