[He saved us so that we might become heirs] … having the hope of eternal life.
Summary: Buying a house is hard work. It takes determination and dedication. These same qualities are valuable to us as we wait for our new heavenly home.
Harold and Millie are newlyweds. They live in an apartment in an older apartment complex, but they are looking forward to owning their own home soon.
Before they were married, Harold promised Millie that they would have their own home. He had worked hard and saved money for the down payment. His credit rating was good, and he had a steady job. Millie, too, worked hard, and together they had saved enough to buy a house.
There was a long search before they found something. It seemed that as soon as they found one they liked, it sold. But they kept trying. Finally, they made an offer on a house that was accepted. They looked forward to the day when the sellers had moved out and the sale could close. On that day, they would get the title and the keys to their new house.
Before closing the sale, Harold and Millie had to stay focused on their goal. Every penny had to be accounted for. They could not touch the money that they had set aside for the new house. They had to keep their jobs, and they had to keep the bank happy. There was a lot to do.
Yet they believed that if they were faithful about managing their money, the sale would close, and the deal would go through. They would get their house.
Harold and Millie did not have any assurance that the deal would go through. The adventure of buying a house was a real “nail-biter” for them. There were so many things that could go wrong.
Fortunately for us, our new house in heaven is already paid for (John 14: 1-3). Even though we are not there yet, we have God’s assurance that it will be waiting for us. If, like Harold and Millie, we do not give up (Galatians 6:9).
Application: Faithfulness is keeping our eyes on God as we strive to finish our race here on earth. (1 Corinthians 9:24)
Food for Thought: What does hope do for us?
Someone once said, “we can live forty days without food, eight days without water, three minutes without air, but only seconds without hope.” That May be hyperbole, but the point is taken. Hope is as essential as food. As believers we can be certain of our hope. Hebrews 11: 1
Good devotion. Harold and Millie? To have those names they may be newlyweds, but they are also about 90 years old 😉
If you must know, Harold and Millie are Amish.
🙂
Well that explains it 😊
What does hope do for us?
Human hope, is wishful thinking. Hoping someone will hire me for a new job, hoping something will go on sale so I can afford it, hoping for good weather next week when I start vacation.
Our hope is faith and confidence from God who has placed this in the hearts of all believers when we accepted Jesus Christ and grows stronger as we live in obedience to His will. His power in our lives gives our hope, confidence its strength.
1 Timothy 1:1, Hebrews 11:1, Psalm 25:3, Romans 8:28
Ron,
I really appreciate you drawing a distinction between “human hope” and the hope given by God. The value of one’s hope is in direct proportion to the power and authority of the one we are putting our hope in. We might hope that someone keeps their promise and at the same time not be surprised if they don’t keep it. But with God, we have the assurance of his unchanging nature and his complete power and authority over all things.
Yep, Guaranteed!
Ron