Unshakeable Hope

Author: Joseph

Date: April 11, 2021

My wife and I sat down at the patio in our backyard and she confessed what we had both been feeling. We were both tired, living day by day just to get to the next one, and we both had a sense of eagerness for “that day” to come when we would no longer feel that way and finally find peace for ourselves. We both had an idea of what that looked like and they were both different. For her, it was the day when our children would be finally grown up and independent. She hoped to see the fruit of her labors and be able to rest from the constant rush of nurturing and raising three young and energetic boys. For me, it was the day when we would finally have a place to call our home – we have been renting for many years. Ideally, I believed, we would move away from the expensive capitol city and I would find a job in which we could settle in a less expensive area. Sure, I was making enough to support my family, but the cost of living in our city was far from family-friendly and our house seemed to be shrinking the more the kids grew older. The truth is, however, my wife and I were both setting our hopes where they did not belong and as a consequence, it was taking away from the joy of our lives.

Where then were we supposed to put our hope? Before I answer this question, I know that you may already know the answer. If you do, that’s great, but I would not write this here if I didn’t think there was more to the answer than both you and I already know. Meaning, please do not dismiss the importance of what is about to be written. If you don’t know the answer, then I am also here to gladly tell you what the Truth of God’s Word reveals in response to this question.

The answer is, we were supposed to be putting our hope in the fulfillment of the kingdom of God with the return of the Messiah, Yeshua (Luke 21:25-36). We were supposed to be putting our hope in His second coming when He will bring about the fullness of His kingdom. Does that sound impractical to you? Are you disappointed at the simplicity of this answer? It is neither impractical nor too simple and here is why.

Why is it that when we read something like this in the writings of the gospels do we always feel like Yeshua is never talking to us, but to a future generation? Is it because more than 2,000 years have passed and He still hasn’t returned? This is how the world thinks, not the people of God (example: 2 Peter 3:3-9). The first disciples of Yeshua themselves didn’t understand Yeshua’s words when He said that He was going to be crucified, yet Yeshua’s words still came true. The same will be for His return. The meaning was hidden from Yeshua’s disciples, but many things that were hidden have now been revealed and have come to pass (Luke 18:31-35). All of Yeshua’s words have either come true or will come true, because He speaks only truth. So when Yeshua says, “Be on guard, so that your hearts will not be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day will not come on you suddenly like a trap; for it will come upon all those who dwell on the face of all the earth,” we need to believe Him and live accordingly (Luke 21:34-35).

How did this change our perspective? As my wife and I discussed what we hoped for, we both reached the conclusion that none of our personal hopes would ever bring us joy in life. This is because what we hoped for was not guaranteed. The goal was not guaranteed, nor was the timeframe that we wanted. We were hoping in things that were unknown and in things that were not promised to us. What was promised to us, we agreed, was that, as believers, Yeshua would return one day and bring His kingdom to fulfillment. Therefore, we could hope in it, being promised by God Himself. We could also take joy in it, knowing that His words would be fulfilled and that it was guaranteed to us as His children. Hoping in this was very practical because it alleviated the burden of our joy to God’s promise rather than in the things we ourselves wanted to hope in. Its simplicity is very satisfying, because we both knew that God’s promises are guaranteed and there is no complexity to it – all we have to do is live faithfully to Him and let Him lead our lives in anticipation of His return.

Yeshua’s return and the fulfillment of God’s kingdom is our unshakeable hope. It relieves our anxieties, it sharpens our focus in life, and it brings us a deep sense of joy that no one and nothing can take away.

"...God’s kingdom is our unshakeable hope."

This message used to be in the forefront of much of Christian teaching and preaching, but somehow our hope got deferred and exchanged for the worries of the world. Take this message and rejoice in it knowing that it is promised and guaranteed! What are you doing today to prepare yourself for Yeshua’s return and in anticipation of God’s kingdom coming to its fullness?

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org