Welcome to the class of 2021 where everyone is a student. Every single one of us. We have never been here before. We haven’t walked these halls, sat in these seats, or graffitied the bathroom stalls yet. There’s no gum under the cafeteria tables or weird smell in the locker rooms yet. I’ll be your teacher for the day but fair warning, I am learning the material as we go. Together.
You may ask questions, but I may not have the answers.
As I mentioned in my last article, I left 2020 making bold declarations stepping into 2021. I held remnants of grief I finally traded for some new hope. I had stars in my eyes and dreams coming alive in my heart. It was both terrifying and magical for about 8 hours. January 1st at 8:00AM, I answered the phone.
I got a rude awakening.
It wasn’t Publishers Clearing House offering me millions of dollars. It was my dad calling. We slammed 100mph into a pivotal brick wall in our relationship. The truth is, I don’t know how to repair the damage. I do, however, know how to look towards Jesus for my next right step. He’s a wonderful counselor (Isaiah 9:6).
January 1, 2021 looked nothing like the newfound hope gestating in my heart.
NOTHING! We, the people of America are watching COVID cases rapidly increase. We, the people of America are still in conflict over social justice issues. We, the people of America are watching our nation seemingly divide over what separates us instead of what unites us as we the people of the “United States”. So far, January 2021 has not provided a graceful display of fresh redemption all of 2020 hoped for.
Anyone else feel punked by 2021, or is it just me?
I keep waiting for Ashton Kutcher to pop his head around the corner pointing a finger at me laughing. I wrestled with hope dwindling. It was too new to give up on this soon. Class, would you like to know what I learned this week?
Hope is not sustainable outside of anything other than Jesus.
Jesus is the person of hope. What Jesus accomplished on the cross, being resurrected from the dead is the available hope living inside every believer (Ephesians 1:11-14). This is elementary Christianity 101 kind of like singing “Jesus loves me this I know, cause the Bible tells me so. . . “ but let’s get real for a moment, I didn’t grow up in church so I never learned that song till I was an adult. I’ve had to walk these truths out to learn them as I go.
I call it on the job training.
Scripture warns us not to depart from our first love in Revelation 2:4. There is an endless ocean of distractions including, if misappropriated, the deep things of God. Mysteries and prophecies. It’s not a bad thing to pursue the heart of the Father into these deep places, but we can get too far from the shore and loose sight of the main thing being the main thing. If Jesus is the lifeguard on the beach, where are you in relation to that life guard tower?
What needs to be re-defined as the main thing for you in 2021?
Are you still in love with Jesus the way you were when you first realized his great love for you? Is your hope anchored in Jesus, or are you banking on something else to come through for you? Do you know what the main thing is to keep it the main thing? There is grace for you in these questions. Jesus is our anchor of hope. Hebrews 6:19. Sometimes it takes us tying a rope around our waste, then to that anchor to keep us from going under.
Hope is a vital key to life.
It takes trust. It takes building a relational history for that trust to grow. If you feel anxiety rising up on the inside, take some time to practice some self care. Worship. Read the living breathing word of God. It’s full of truth, hope, wisdom, and love. Read till something hits your heart and think about that passage through the week. These aren’t full proof to our frailty, but these are great places to start if you’re not feeling anchored to hope.
Peace, hope, and love to you all.
Here are a few scriptures on hope to encourage you:
Psalm 16:9
“Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; my flesh also will rest in hope.”
Psalm 119:114
“You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word.”
Psalm 130:7
“O Israel, hope in the LORD; for with the LORD there is mercy, and with Him is abundant redemption.”
Psalm 147:11
“The LORD takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy.”
Proverbs 23:18
“For surely there is a hereafter, and your hope will not be cut off.”
Isaiah 9:7
“Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever more. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.”
Isaiah 11:9
“They shall not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.”
Jeremiah 17:7
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, and whose hope is the LORD.”
Jeremiah 29:11
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
Lamentations 3:24
“‘The LORD is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I hope in Him!’”
Daniel 2:44
“And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.”
Daniel 12:3
“Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.”
Micah 4:4
“But everyone shall sit under his vine and under his fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid; for the mouth of the LORD of hosts has spoken.”
Zephaniah 3:17
“The LORD your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”
Malachi 3:16
“Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD listened and heard them; so a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and who meditate on His name.”
Matthew 25:21
“His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.”
Romans 5:5
“Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit [which] was given to us.”
Romans 12:12
“Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer.”
Romans 15:4
“For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.”
Romans 15:13
“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
1 Corinthians 2:9
“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
Ephesians 1:18
“The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.”
Colossians 1:27
“To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
1 Thessalonians 5:8
“But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.”
Titus 1:2
“In hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began.”
Titus 2:13
“Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.”
2 Peter 1:10-11
“Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
1 John 3:2
“Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.”
1 John 3:3
“And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”
Revelation 21:4
“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
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