Oct 3

Your Faith

"We have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints, the faith and love that spring from hope that is stored up for you in heaven." Colossians 1:4,5

Oh, that this might be said about us, to have a growing faith and love, which extends to all Christians! Hope is the well out of which faith and love spring forth. There is nothing in this life or the next that we need to fear because we have Jesus Christ who died for us and has given us a standing with God. Not just a standing, but more than that, for we are called sons of God. He has adopted us as His children. We have nothing but joy to look forward to when we stay close to Him. We have the assurance that nothing will harm us and that God is finishing the work He began in us. That is cause for hope. When discouragement seeps into our lives, we need but one look at the Savior to remember the hope that is ours: to one day live and reign with him. We can then move forward with the assurance that God will never let us go, that every experience placed in our lives has a purpose and that as we learn the lessons and grow we will remain fixed in Christ. I like the way the Message puts verse 5, "that the lines of purpose in your lives never grow slack, tightly tied as they are to your future in heaven, kept taut by hope." We are tied to heaven; Jesus Christ is the knot that cinches the line. Hope keeps that line tight. When we get caught up in this world and its cares the line slackens and we begin to flounder. When we fix our eyes on Jesus and our heavenly hope, the line become taut and immoveable. How we look forward to the day when our faith and hope will reach their fruition and will no longer be needed! For now, hope is an anchor to our souls and the well from which faith and love spring.

 Father, thank you for the marvelous hope that you have given us in Jesus Christ. You not only have freed us from sin, but have promised us a life with you in heaven one day. Help us to never lose sight of the wonderful hope you have promised us. Keep us close to you and may faith and love spring up and overflow from the hope that you have given to us. Thank you for all your mercies, in Jesus' name. Amen.