The Validity of Hope
Greetings and good morning, brothers and sisters This is Dr. James Perry continuing with our series where we seek to explore the deeper meanings of our relationship with Jesus Christ. Over the years, the heavenly Father has revealed many spiritual truths to me, and I want to share them with you. This morning we seek to understand that validity of hope.
And now, sit back and listen to today's message.
The Validity of Hope
"And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”” Romans, Chapter 5, Verses 5
Hope for tomorrow
Will relieve our sorrow
Brothers and sisters, in today’’s broadcast we consider the validity of hope. We are particularly interested in whether hope is valid under all circumstances of human existence. In one of the execution chambers in Georgia, there is this epitaph written upon the wall: ““Abandon hope all of you who enter these chambers.”” We know that many tortured souls exert hope in the face of material disasters.
We see hope being exerted in the face of all sorts of human tragedies. Painful illness, terminal illness, and all sort of material difficulties ride on the buoyance of hope. And it has been said that state of the suicidal mind is a state that is devoid of hope. We know that in some of these material states, hope does not change the outcome. Does this mean that hope is invalid? If hope does not change the outcome, what is the purpose of exerting hope in the face of a hopeless situation? Are there really situations where hope is invalid? We know that we struggle with these questions, as trials and tribulations place tremendous strain upon our faith. We maintain that in spite of adverse material outcomes, hope is always justified. But we must look to the spiritual aspects of life to see why this is true.
Hope, like faith, is the bestowal of the heavenly Father, given to His children of time to pull them through the ups and downs of this life. Even though hope may not change outcomes, it does change our attitudes toward the outcome, and this is important because it prevents despair.
When hope is combined with faith and trust, life becomes invincible. Hope is a spiritual quality. It is the forward spiritual urge of eternity, which breaks the material inertia of the soul and propels it forward into the eternal values and meanings of an eternal existence. It is one of the many spiritual tools the Father sends to our souls to assist us in the fascinating struggle to attain eternity of existence. But as the soul begins its existence within our minds, it is not strange that we would apply this hope to our material state. But like faith, we must learn how to use this hope so that it does not cause us to stumble. Even though hope can propel us spiritually through the trials and tribulations of life, materially it does not always do so. When we are confronted with rigid facts of material existence, hope cannot change those facts, but hope can transcend those facts just as faith does. Hope is necessary to continue this life in the face of adversity.
Even though adversity is necessary to stimulate and actualize those spiritual potentials that are concealed with our souls, without hope, it is unlikely that the soul would continue its struggle to break free of its material fetters. Hope is like a life preserver thrown to a drowning man. Hope is the light of the soul. Hope is another manifestation of the Father’’s love for His children.
When embraced hope fills our consciousness with the expectation that things can and will get better. With hope, each day gives us additional strength to endure and to eventually overcome the obstacles standing in our way of achieving divine perfection. When hope runs into the material dead-end, it simply transfers to the spiritual level, where it is truly justified. For those whose hope is in the Lord, hope is not in vain. Hope strengthens the moral and spiritual aspects of our determination to move forward and overcome the struggles of this life. With this addition of hope, we can climb the rungs of the ladder of this life. Each day, hope carries us up another rung of the ladder of life. And this expectation of better times prevents us from becoming overly pessimistic about the life we are asked to live. Even when all material things fail, hope is still valid, for it reinforces faith in the resurrection of our souls. Hope moves over to the spiritual aspects of life, and we are strengthened even when the end is upon us and there is no further justification for material hope.
Faith shows us the vision of salvation, of eternal life, while it propels us towards that eternal vision. When trust is added to this combination of faith and hope, our souls become filled with the assurance of the goodness of the heavenly Father.
So we see that hope is valid under all circumstances because of its function in our material and spiritual lives, as long as we continue to transfer this hope to the next stage of circumstances. We can avoid the despair that threatens to overwhelm us in the face of continuing adversity if we maintain our hope for tomorrow. And when we can’’t see our way clear, hope will guide us, faith will show us the destination, and trust will ensure that we follow accordingly. The Father loves us, and we are precious us in his sight. We will arrive safely at our destination if we allow hope to have her way. Hope is the sure sign of faith in the goodness of God.
This concludes today's message on understanding that validity of hope. We hope you find something in this message to ponder and pray about as you go about your day.
Until next time, this is Dr. James Perry.
Your Kingdom Come; Your Will Be Done!
Inspirational Messages
By Dr. James Perry
The Validity of Hope
