Hope

        Every now and then you come across a person who just can't sing.  No matter how hard you try, they can't match even one note of music.  In essence, they seem to be tone deaf.  That is, they have no hope of ever being able to sing music.  Now, to their ears, they are singing just fine but in truth it is off pitch, off key and just plain hopeless as far as producing any listenable music.  No amount of training or assistance will ever produce good music.  That is, until they get to heaven.  Once they get to heaven, they will have a perfect sense of hearing and they will be able to sing just fine.  But, on this earth, we still look at him, shake our heads and say, "He's just hopeless."  But, that doesn't really describe them.  The word "hopeless" is best used to describe those who are without Christ as their Lord and Savior.  Ephesians 2:11-13 says, "Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;  That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ."  
     The people described in these verses were absolutely hopeless because they were without Christ.  They had no hope.  Their pagan gods couldn't do a thing and could not appease any of their sins.  Hope, however, then came to them through the preaching of the Gospel and they discovered new faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.  Now, they have hope.  The same is true today.  The person who is without Christ is "hopeless."  When they hear the gospel message, then they move from having no hope to having hope through Christ.   We should always be reminded as to where our hope lies.  It doesn't lie in the things of the world which offer only material things in the forms of cheap therapy.  True hope only comes in the Lord Jesus Christ.  He can satisfy every longing that a person has.  So, if you are getting caught up in the affairs of the world and are beginning to feel "hopeless," just remember from where your hope really comes.  Praise God today for giving you hope in the midst of a hopeless world system.