What is hope?  Can we have hope in times like these?

Most of us, when we talk about our hopes, talk about wishful thinking, things which may or may not come to pass; like I had hoped that the Giants would have won to Superbowl again this year, or at least made it to the Superbowl!  But that isn't hope.  Hope is believing that a better tommorrow is coming, to be sure of it, even if the current circumstances we find ourselves in seem to indicate exactly the opposite.

As Christians, our hope is built on Jesus' blood and righteousness, but that hope is the certain knowledge that heaven awaits us at the end of this life, that we have already recieved eternal life and redemption.  Our hope is our belief that the Kingdom of God of which Jesus spoke so often, which, although it is already among us will one day emerge in its fullness; a day when justice and fairness will reign supreme, where there will be peace and everlasting joy, where all human sorrow is resolved and we want for nothing except to spend all of eternity praising and worshipping God.

Hope, as such, doesn't depend on our abilities or even warm fuzzy feelings.  How sad it must be for those who rate the worship of God by its ability to make them feel entertained, rather than their ability to praise God!