Thankful for Hope

Happy Sunday. Do you know any negative Nellies, people that are always looking for the worst in any situation? Sure you do. This past election certainly brought them out. People on both sides were saying that if the other guy won, it would be the end of the world.

You know, I'm not that worried. In my lifetime there have been 13 presidents, Republicans, Democrats, maybe an independent, I don't know, but the world still turning, Jesus is still on his throne, and God still loves me. I am a person of Hope, and today I want to talk about hope. I'm thankful for Hope.

First, let me Define hope. Hope, to me, is remaining positive no matter what is happening. No matter the circumstances around me, I will be positive. I am so thankful that I can remain positive no matter what.

I have a neighbor, a great example, that went to heaven this week. He was ready. In the past several months he'd Lost His sight. He told his wife that he was ready to see Jesus. He had hope even in death; he wasn't bothered, he was hopeful.

Emily Dickinson wrote that hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul and sings the tunes without the words and never stops s at all. I like that. Robert Schuler gave great advice when he said, let your hopes, not your hurts, shape your future. Sadly, today there are many whose Futures are shaped by their hurts. They've allowed difficulties of days gone by to shape their future and to Rob them of hope. It doesn't have to be that way.

Let's look today at a great story of hope. It's found in the Book of Matthew, and Luke also tells a story, and today I'm going to read from the book of Luke, chapter 8. Luke 8 tells us about Jesus healing and teaching and staying really busy, and great Crowds Are following him. And we pick up this story in verse 40 of Luke 8.

"On the other side of the lake the crowds welcomed Jesus because they'd been waiting for him. And then a man named jerus, a leader of the local synagogue, came and fell at Jesus's feet, pleading with him to come home with him. His only daughter, who was about 12 years old, was dying. As Jesus went with him, he was surrounded by the crowds.

"A woman in the crowd had suffered for 12 years with constant bleeding, and she could find no cure. Coming up behind Jesus, she touched The Fringe of his robe. Immediately the bleeding stopped. 'Who touched me?' Jesus asked. Everyone denied it, and Peter said, 'Master, the whole crowd is pressing up against you.'

"But Jesus said, 'Someone deliberately touched me, for I felt healing power go out from me.' When the woman realized that she could not stay hidden, she began to tremble and fell to her knees in front of him. The whole crowd heard her explain why she had touched him and that she had been immediately healed. 'Daughter,' Jesus said to her, 'your faith has made you well. Go in peace.'"

As we began, jarus was desperate to save the life of his only daughter. She was just about 12. It's interesting, as they are headed to help the girl, Crowds Are pressing from other all the sides, and we meet a woman who's been sick for 12 years, a lifetime. A bleeding disorder was her problem, and it was a big problem because she would have been considered unclean.

She shouldn't have even been in a crowd. The laws of Leviticus would have defined her as an outcast. It's likely that she couldn't even be around her family. But here she is. She had hope.

She'd heard of Jesus, and she would not give up. It had been 12 years. If I could just touch His Garment, she thought, all would be well. She never gave up. She had hope.

Her hope was rewarded. She was instantly healed, and Jesus told her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace." Today this world needs to have Hope and Faith In Jesus. It makes us well.

How important is Hope? Proverbs 1312 tells us that "hope deferred makes the heart sick." If we don't have hope, hope, we just turn rotten. All of us must live with expectation and hope. It's that important.

I went to visit a long-term care facility last week. I made a new friend. He's 93 years old. He is visually challenged; he can see shadows. As we walked from a meeting room to an activities room, he held on to my shoulder as we negotiated the halls and the Twist and the turns.

He was one of the happiest, most optimistic people I've ever met. I believe he has touched Jesus's garment. His heart has been healed. He has hope, and I pray you do as well. Today I'm thankful for the hope that my faith gives me.

Pray with me. Father, thank you for my neighbor that was ready to see Jesus, that had hope even in death. That is so foreign to this world, this world that needs Jesus. Jesus, thank you for my friends watching today that know you, and help us to be people of Hope in any and every situation, because you're going to take care of us, and we know that, and our hope and our trust is in you. In Jesus name we pray, amen.

God bless. Thanks for joining me today.