Hope Lingers still...

 

Have you ever seen a tree that was equally alive and dead?

 I have.

 A few years ago, I was out on my morning exercise when my eyes were drawn to a peculiar sight. A short dstance from the road I was walking on, in a forested area, was a tree that was literally half alive and, apparently, half dead. I stood and stared at it for several minutes. The fully grown tree had luxuriant green leaves on one half; the other half had dry, brittle branches. On the half that was alive and sprouting green leaves, there was absolutely no sign of decay. In contrast, the other half appeared hopelessly dead. To my finite mind, no amount of sunshine and rain could reverse its condition. Immediately, I thought that the unidentified tree was a symbol for many facets of life. In this post, I am presenting it as a symbol of hope.

Hope has a powerful, positive influence on our perspective. I could easily think the tree that amazed me was dying, but I chose to believe that it was regaining life. Right now, you may be grappling with issues that seem irreversible; but, it does not matter how grave your present circumstances are, God, with whom all things are possible, can breathe life into it. Your health can be restored, your family can be strengthened, you can flourish financially, and your dying spirituality can be rejuvenated if you embrace the eternal promises in God’s word.

The Bible declares in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (NKJV) In that tree that attracted my attention that brilliant morning, both life and death were juxtaposed, creating a graphic image of the options available to all mankind. We have all sinned; but, none of us needs to die eternally. There is the hope of everlasting life in Christ Jesus. It’s your choice. You can either reject the sacrifice of Jesus for your sins or you can choose Jesus and gain eternal life. What will your choice be?

The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ should also imbue us with hope to secure our peace of mind in this present life. Hope that every dire situation we face can change, or God can give us grace to endure to the end. Furthermore, the story of the Saviour’s death and resurrection should give us the assurance that we can trust the word of God and all the promises that He has lovingly made to us. Certainly, we could be reassured that we can cast all our cares upon Him for He cares for us. Most of all, we have the blessed hope that one day, Jesus Christ will return in majestic splendour and when He does, all things will be made new. There will be no health challenges, absolutely no pandemics, and no broken families. Definitely, we will not lose our loved ones to the sting of death. There will be no famine and no more fear. Just joy forevermore. Isn’t that worth hoping and living for? 

I think it is. Yes, I think it is.