students of jesus

Somewhere in the heavens a giant reservoir holds an ingredient essential to life. And, like every precious element held in reserve, it doesn’t do us much good until we draw upon it. Heaven is saturated with hope, nor does it stay in the skies, it rains upon us.

In the 21^st century, “hope” is simply the poetic version of wishful thinking. In this present age “hope” is the stuff of dreams: thin as the air and the currency of desperation. Hope is a counterfeit traded by losers. Winners don’t need hope—they have success now.

Last night I read these amazing words: “the faith and love that spring from hope that is stored up for you in heaven.” (Colossians 1:5) The Apostle Paul was writing to a community of believers he had never met. He had heard of their faith in Jesus. He had heard of their love for one another. Paul knew immediately that these people had tapped into an eternal source capable of funding such faith and love. They had tapped into hope.

This is a revelation: in a place called “heaven,” where every need is met and there’s no more crying or sorrow, hope remains. Paul describes it as the stockpile of heaven, ready to energize faith and love in the here and now. Why would we love another person if there were no hope for them—or us? Why believe the promises of God for this life unless there is evidence that these promises are sure? The “hope of heaven” is not a destination; it’s a resource available to us now. Even in the valley of despair, a door of hope remains open, because heaven is open to us now. Hope is our anchor, but instead of casting it into the depths of the seas, we anchor our hope in the fact of heaven, that place where God’s Kingdom is lived to the full. Each student of Jesus would do well to reflect, how solid is my hope?, and in which direction have I cast my anchor?

Hope is the rebirth of divine certainty: through hope we see Jesus, the high king of heaven. We see his love toward us, and from him we draw the true necessities of life. Food, water, shelter, fame, money and sex are the illusions of necessity. Only three things remain untouched from this age into the next: faith, hope, and love. Hope is an abiding thing; it will outlast this world, and we will live forever in the hope of heaven.