Tag Archives: hope

The Bible Offers Us Hope for the Future

November 12, 2017 Peter DeHaan Leave a comment

Because of God we can anticipate a better tomorrow

The Bible gives us hope. There are many reasons why I love the Bible, in fact I list thirteen. One of those reasons is hope (Psalm 119:74). The Bible is filled with hope. It’s mentioned 180 times in both the Old and New Testaments.

Hope in the Old Testament: The word hope appears ninety-seven times in the Old Testament, in sixteen of the thirty-nine books. Interestingly, the word hope isn’t found in the first seven books of the Bible. Psalms, however, is filled with hope, thirty-four times (such as Psalm 9:18). Job comes in second place with eighteen mentions (Job 13:15, for example). Much of the hope that appears in the Old Testament occurs in the writings of the prophets, who look forward in hopeful expectation to a better future (consider Isaiah 40:31).

Hope in the New Testament: Hope appears eighty-three times in the New Testament and pops up in twenty-four of the twenty-seven books (consider Romans 5:2). Interestingly, in the five books written by John—who writes extensively about love—hope only pops up once, in his gospel. The final book of the Bible, Revelation, doesn’t mention hope directly. However, the book winds down looking at a glorious future with a new heaven and a new earth (Revelation 21:1). That’s something to hope for.The book of Revelation ends looking at a glorious future with a new heaven and a new earth. Click To Tweet

Hope in Our Present World: Some of the times hope is mentioned in the Bible, it anticipates a better tomorrow in our physical world: a hope for provision, a hope for deliverance, and a hope for protection, to name a few (check out Psalm 37:9). When we place our trust in God, we can be filled with hope that he will take care of us throughout our life.

Hope in Our Future Reality: In other places when the Bible mentions hope, it’s a perspective that transcends our physical realm (such as Acts 23:6). It’s hope in a spiritual eternity with God; it’s the hope of heaven. This anticipates an existence with no pain, sorrow, or disappointment. Some might call it paradise and others, Eden reborn. In this future reality, we will commune with God. We will worship him, serve him, and just hang out.

Some people follow God for the hope he gives them for a better tomorrow in this world. And that may be enough. Other people pursue God for the hope he gives them for a better tomorrow in the afterlife. And that is another reward.

The Bible is filled with hope, and it fills us with hope: hope in God for tomorrow and beyond.

The Bible

What’s the Only Thing That Counts?

November 8, 2017 Peter DeHaan 2 Comments

Paul tells us that faith and love is what matters most

In Paul’s letter to the Galatians, he opens chapter five with a discussion about freedom and slavery, about following the law and not following the law. He says that in Jesus these things have no value.

His explanation of this is a bit confusing. It’s a passage we need to go back and reread to try to understand what this prolific biblical writer is trying to tell us. But if we don’t quite grasp it, that’s okay. He summarizes his point in one succinct line: “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love” (Galatians 5:6, NIV). What’s the Only Thing That Counts?

The only thing that counts is love expressed through faith.

Think about it.

May we use our faith to express our love to others. It’s the only thing that counts. Click To Tweet

Faith is the starting point. We have faith in God the father through Jesus the son as revealed by God’s Holy Spirit. We have faith that God lives in us and is through us. We have faith that a better tomorrow awaits us, both in this world and in the next. We have faith that God is with us in all circumstances and at all times, that he answers our prayers aligned with his sovereign wisdom.

But faith alone fall short. James tells us that faith without action is dead (James 2:17). While action could mean many things, let’s go back to Paul. He says that through our faith we are to express love. That’s what matters.

If faith is the starting point of the one thing that counts, love expressed is the outcome. Love is a confusing word in today’s modern society, covering the full gamut of emotions from preference to passion. But to understand the kind of love that Paul is talking about, we should go back to the Bible, we should go back to the words of Paul’s letter to the Corinthian church. He starts out by saying, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud” (1 Corinthians 13:4, NIV).

He ends his explanation of love with these words, “Now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love (1 Corinthians 13:13).

Did you catch this? In Paul’s trio of traits, he starts with faith, and he ends with love. Hope is what connects the two.

May we use our faith to express our love to others. It’s the only thing that counts. Paul says so.

[Read through the New Testament of the Bible this year. Today’s reading is Galatians 5, and today’s post is on Galatians 5:6.]

Spirituality

Let Us Persevere in Our Faith

April 23, 2017 Peter DeHaan Leave a comment

The book of Hebrews tells us how to react to what God has done for us

Let Us Persevere in Our Faith An interesting passage in Hebrews opens with a reminder of who we are in Jesus and through Jesus (Hebrews 10:23-25). With this as our perspective, the author tells us four things we should do in response.

Let Us Pursue God: The NIV says to “draw near to God.” I like this imagery of us steadfastly moving toward God, getting closer and closer, almost as though he gently pulls us to him. Though we can accept or reject his supernatural yearning to pull us close, we consent to his attraction when we pursue him.

May we pursue God as if nothing else matters—because nothing else does. We need to do this with a sincere heart and full of faith.

Let Us Hold Onto Hope: Next we need to grasp the hope we claim to have within us. If we say we have hope but don’t act like it, what good is that? Instead our behavior, both in thought and in action, must align with what we believe.

And if we face temptation to waiver in our hope, Hebrews reminds us that he will faithfully give us what he promised. Cling to our hope.

Let Us Encourage One Another: Third is the reminder to encourage each other. While we can nurture many godly traits in others, this passage specifically mentions two: love and good deeds. It’s as if nothing else matters.

We love others in the same way God loves us. He shows us his perfect love and we strive to follow his example. And we help others. Why? Not to get God’s attention or to achieve some agenda, but because he says so.The practical extension of love is to do kind things for others. Click To Tweet

The practical extension of love is to do kind things for others. Love connects to good deeds.

Let Us Not Isolate Ourselves: We can’t realize all God desires for us if we separate ourselves from his other followers. Together we stay strong. Apart we falter. As the Bible says, “A cord of three strands is not quickly broken” (Ecclesiastes 4:12).

The oft-quoted text for this is to let us not give up meeting together, which many misapply (read more about this). The point is to hang out with others who follow Jesus. The details of what this looks like is for us to determine.

As followers of Jesus, may we pursue God, cling to hope, offer encouragement, and spend time with each other.

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The Bible

What Do People Remember About You?

December 1, 2015 Peter DeHaan Leave a comment

When Paul writes to the church in Thessalonica he professes three things he recalls about them. He remembers them and their characteristics before God, presumably as he prays, offering thanksgiving to God for their lives and the examples they provide.

What Do People Remember About You? Three things stand out as the testimony of the Thessalonian church, their witness to the world around them:

Faithful Work: Their faith in God produces their work. They don’t work for the sake of working or do things just to do things. They work with intentionality because of their faith. They couple actions with belief, with their actions springing forth from their spiritual moorings.

Loving Labor: Their love for others prompts them to help others. They don’t love in name only or in theory, they show their love by their deeds. For them love is a verb. Because of their love, they toil for others, laboring for the benefit of those around them.

Enduring Hope: They persevere because of Jesus, through their hope in him and the promises he offers. This hope inspires their endurance; it motivates them to persist regardless of the situation or circumstances. Their hope propels them forward.

When Paul thinks about this church, this is how he remembers them. He recalls their faith, their love, and their hope. In another letter Paul upholds all three of these ideals and then adds that the greatest of them is love.What Are You Known For? Is it something worthwhile? Click To TweetWhat do people remember about us?

How do you love people? Does your faith, love, and hope shine through?

(1 Thessalonians 1:3, 1 Corinthians 13:13)

The Bible

What Does it Mean to Have “Fallen Asleep?”

July 9, 2015 Peter DeHaan Leave a comment

What Does it Mean to Have “Fallen Asleep?” The Bible sometimes uses the quaint phrase “fallen asleep.” It’s a polite way to say that someone died. I smile at this ambiguous language and wonder why Bible writers used a euphemism instead of being direct.

But I think there might be more to it. To say “fallen asleep” is not merely an understated way to communicate that someone’s life is over. It’s a hint that there is another life awaiting us after death, that we will awake to a new kind of existence.

Just as natural sleep is a respite between one day and the next, so too figurative sleep is a transition from one form of life to another. While our body ceases to function, our spirit moves on to a new dimension. And we must first “fall asleep” to make that transition.

When the Bible talks about those who have “fallen asleep,” it’s more than a gracious way to say someone died, it’s the suggestion there is even more to look forward to as we move into the spiritual realm. But first we must sleep; we must die.

How do you view death? Do you have hope in what comes next?

[Matthew 9:24, Mark 5:39, Luke 8:32, John 11:11, Acts 7:60, Acts 13:36, 1 Corinthians 11:30, 1 Corinthians 15:6, 18, 20, 1 Thessalonians 4:14-15]

Book Reviews

Book Review: Hope for the Flowers

February 14, 2014 Peter DeHaan 2 Comments

Hope for the Flowers

By Trina Paulus (reviewed by Peter DeHaan)

Hope for the Flowers is a delightful allegory offering messages on multiple levels and applicable to all age groups. It is a short book that can be read in about fifteen minutes and is simply, yet effectively, illustrated by its author Trina Paulus. As such, it can function nicely as a children’s book, as well as a clever and profound teaching tool for teenagers and adults of all ages.

The story chronicles the life pursuits and relationships of two caterpillars, Stripe and Yellow, searching for meaning and purpose in their lives. It is about struggle, yearnings, single-minded focus, diligence, perseverance, making mistakes, enlightenment, letting go, and ultimately…well, let’s not spoil the ending.

This book is a great addition to anyone’s library. Buy two: one to keep and one to give away!

[Hope for the Flowers, by Trina Paulus. Published by Paulist Press, 1973, ISBN: 978-0809117543, 160 pages.]

What Does Perfect Love Do?

October 18, 2012 Peter DeHaan Leave a comment

As we struggle with the paradox of fearing God and loving God, there’s another thought on the subject.

John writes that “perfect love drives out fear.”

Perfect love never fails. Perfect love is love that’s without fault, consistent and always present. God embodies perfect love.

Paul gives us a list of what love is and isn’t. Love is:

patient
kind
not envious
not boastful
not proud
not rude
not self-seeking
not easily angered
forgetting the mistakes of others
not delighting in evil
rejoicing over truth
offering protection
trusting
hopeful
persevering
never failing

This is love, perfect love, and it drives away fear.

[1 John 4:18, 1 Corinthians 13:4-8]

Book Reviews

Book Review: Heaven is for Real

June 29, 2012 Peter DeHaan Leave a comment

Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy’s Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back

By Todd Burpo and Lynn Vincent (reviewed by Peter DeHaan)

Not yet four years old, Colton Burpo’s life was slipping away. His burst appendix was misdiagnosed and left untreated for days. Now it was likely too late to save him. His parents’ prayers became more desperate as Colton’s time on earth wound down; it was the darkest of times. Others were praying, too, many others. Then overnight, Colton made a dramatic and unexpected turnaround. “A miracle,” said medical personnel.

This was dramatic enough, but what he naively revealed in the weeks and months that followed were even more so. As his life ebbed away, little Colton left his body and visited heaven. There Jesus held him and comforted him, eventually telling him it was time to return; his daddy needed him. While there, Colton also spent time with his great grandfather who died a quarter of a century prior and a sister his mother miscarried. He learned of things no one had ever told him and corroborated obscure biblical details that were otherwise beyond his comprehension.

As the story develops, many more extraordinary revelations unfold as Colton shares his supernatural experience with childlike simplicity and unwavering conviction. His story is eventually recorded in this credible chronicle so people would know “heaven is for real.”

Heaven is for Real is a quick read and an engaging narrative, offering hope and confirmation of the afterlife revealed in the Bible. Read it for its story; read it to be inspired; read it so you will know heaven is for real.

[Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy’s Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back, by Todd Burpo and Lynn Vincent. Published by Thomas Nelson, 2010; ISBN: 978-0-8499-4615-8; 163 pages.]

Don’t Worry or Be Anxious

December 17, 2008 Peter DeHaan Leave a comment

The news has been bad lately—and there is seemingly little hope in sight. Don't Worry or Be Anxious

The global economy is bad, there is a credit crisis, the US automotive industry is in trouble, unemployment is increasing, many of those with jobs are concerned, and a turnaround seems a long ways off.

But in the big picture, this has happened before and will happen again.

Jesus puts it into a proper perspective for us:

“I tell you, do not worry about your life,
what you will eat; or
about your body, what you will wear.
Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.
But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given
to you as well.”

[Luke 12:22, 23, 31]

Peter DeHaan

Tag Archives: hope

The Bible Offers Us Hope for the Future

Because of God we can anticipate a better tomorrow

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What’s the Only Thing That Counts?

Paul tells us that faith and love is what matters most

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Let Us Persevere in Our Faith

The book of Hebrews tells us how to react to what God has done for us

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What Do People Remember About You?

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What Does it Mean to Have “Fallen Asleep?”

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Book Review: Hope for the Flowers

Hope for the Flowers

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What Does Perfect Love Do?

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Book Review: Heaven is for Real

Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy’s Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back

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Don’t Worry or Be Anxious

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Because of God we can anticipate a better tomorrow

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Paul tells us that faith and love is what matters most

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The book of Hebrews tells us how to react to what God has done for us

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Hope for the Flowers

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Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy’s Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back

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