“There is one body and one Spirit— just as you were called to one hope when you were called— one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” (Ephesians 4:4–6, NIV84)

“…Just as you were called to one hope…”.  There is only one real hope.  I know a lot of people who would take exception to that statement, but it is a certainty.  There is only one hope because there is only “one Lord, one faith…one God and Father of all…”.  If hope is something certain and real, then there can’t be multiple types.  Many types of hope would lead us into a smorgasbord  of possibilities.  Too many possibilities would force us into an investigation to verify the validity of each.  The process would be grueling and lead us nowhere because hope can’t be verified.  The effort would lead us to hopelessness.

This is why there can be only one hope, and God has to be at the center of such hope.  He alone can provide certainty where we cannot.  Only God, who created us and redeemed us, can give us the kind of assurance we need to have hope.  Only God can be “over all and through all and in all.”  Think about that for a minute.  Our hope is in a God who is over all.  He created, redeemed, and rules over this broken planet.  He intimately touches this world and our lives in order that we might have hope.  Our hope and faith rest securely and nothing happens without His knowing.  He can even take the bad situations in life and cause good to come from them.  Our hope is certain because He is “in” all.  He is in you and me, by the power of His Holy Spirit, to sustain our faith and hope.  Our hope is in a God who actively and intimately interacts with us at all times.  Even at this moment He speaks to you through His Word reminding you of all the reasons you have to be hopeful.

Today, praise God for all that He did/does to make sure that you have hope.

Peace!

Pastor Tom

www.firmlyrooted.church