Faith, Hope and Love - Corrie ten BoomSample

Hope

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God”. - Hebrews 12:2

Oh... how we can long for the “good old days”. Everything was so much better and more predictable. What was normal and taken for granted in those days is not that obvious anymore. It could make us sad and homesick, and we could tend to give up and become passive and depressed.

In Ezra, chapter 3 we can read that the elderly people are crying as the temple is rebuilt, remembering the glory and grandeur of the former temple that has been destroyed so many years ago.

After the Second World War Corrie could have been discouraged, giving up, without any hope for the future. Her father, Casper ten Boom, and her sister, Betsie, both had been killed in 1944. And the happy days of before, in their warm and cozy home, had forever been gone.

She could have looked back, remembering and longing for the good old, and so much better times before the war. Realizing it would never come back she could have sunk into a great depression and sorrow. But instead, she looked forward with hope, fixing her eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of her faith.

Hope is not the same as longing and desiring. We can long for things that are impossible to fulfill, such as, a season that will not come back, a journey we cannot afford to make, longing for a loved one who has passed away. Hope, on the contrary is based on reliable facts. There could have been periods and events in our life for which we look back with unfulfilled, craving and longing. But the better thing to do is to look forward, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Then we can go forward, with courage and hope. That is what Corrie, and many with her, did after the war, building on the foundation of Christ and His Kingdom. Romans 5:5 says: “And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us”.

Question

• Do you get discouraged at times, looking back all and longing for the good old days?
• What are the facts in the Word of God which you can rely on and have hope in, and that can help you look into the future with faith and good courage?

Prayer
Thank You Lord that we can look forward to the days ahead with trust and confidence, because “You are the same, yesterday, today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)