Know What to Hope In...

"You have to know what to hope.

Hope in the everlasting, not the quickly fading.

Your hope is not that you're never going to die.

Your hope is that you'll live forever.

Your hope is not that nothing bad will ever happen.

Your hope is that you're an overcomer no matter what happens.

You have to know what to hope in and what not to hope in. Otherwise you will have a long list of reasons that you're mad at God."  (From a sermon by Troy Brewer, Open Door Church, Burleson, Texas.)

Because God never promised we would live forever in this broken world, or that we would live comfortably and without difficulties. He did promise to be with us through it all, and to take us home to a place that He's prepared for us. But this is only promised to those who become His children by choice. That involves humbling ourselves and admitting that we need Him to wash us clean so that we can come into His presence. No trace of this sin-filled world can inhabit heaven...or it wouldn't be heaven.

This is no exclusive club, being a child of God. Anyone can join in. The only thing that can keep us from entering in is a proud and rebellious heart that thinks we're good enough without God's help.
We've compared ourselves to the things of this world and think we look pretty good. But we haven't seen the things of heaven yet.

Hope in the everlasting; not in the quickly fading.

He's coming back. Don't let pride steal your hope.

Shalom.