“Our future hope animates our present reality.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – March 2, 2024
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy we have been born anew to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and to an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 1 Peter 1:3-5, RSV
Few things in life are as good as they seem. Yes, there are moments of bliss, elation, and delight, yet they are interwoven with loss, pain, and suffering. We delight in the gift of children and family life, yet our hearts can be ripped in two as we see our children suffer and find ourselves helpless and unable to remove their pain or solve their problem. We seek to love another with a selfless and sacrificial love, yet every action is tainted by mixed motives. Service and self-love, pure affection and distorted passion, innocent delight and callous skepticism. Each of these co-exist within every human heart.
Though this is the reality of our current lived experience, things will not forever stay this way. As followers of Christ, we look ahead with anticipation to a day in which all that is righteous and true will endure, and anything that is bent and broken will fade away. As Peter says, the “living hope” to which we cling “is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:4). This is the unshakable reality of creation itself, the destiny to which we are all called and the hope of all who place their trust in Christ.
The truth of this claim is not tied to our ability to hold fast to it or simply hope that it’s true but is brought into being and sustained by the mighty power of God himself. Our inheritance is kept in heaven and guarded by no one less than the very creator of heaven and earth. And so, even though we must continue to navigate a tainted and impure world in which beauty and brokenness live side-by-side, we at the same time trust that there is a salvation that is “ready to be revealed in the last time,” and it is that future hope that inspires and animates our present reality.
Prayer
Father, help us to live our present lives in light of eternity, seeing every moment of wonder and delight as a foretaste of your coming kingdom, and give us the strength to endure the trials and pain of this life, knowing it is a temporary and fleeting sorrow that is being healed and driven out by your coming kingdom, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Application
Take time today to prayerfully meditate upon the words of 1 Peter 1, asking the Lord to reframe your present reality in light of eternity.
Related Reading
Psalm 27:4; Matthew 6:19-21; Acts 20:32
Worship Resource
Matt Redman: 10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)
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