Fulfilled Hope

Life has a way of presenting us with incredible adversity, danger, fear, or pain. We have lost loved ones, walked through dark days, and asked God, “why?”, a time or two along the way. In the face of danger and despair, Christ is with us. He loves us and cares for us. I have a picture in my mind of Jesus walking onto the waves and calming the disciples as they saw him, “Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid” (Matthew 14:27). Jesus asks each of us to be courageous in the face of evil because He has already defeated death itself. I love the passage in Romans 8: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: ‘For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered” (Romans 8:35-36).

For Christ’s sake we face death – we sacrifice our comforts, safety nets, and personal desires to confront evil in the darkest places and speak Truth into the most hopeless of situations. This is what we are made and called to do.

Tomorrow we remember those who have given all in war, answering the call to serve our country and give hope to those facing oppression, genocide, persecution, and desperation. As we remember those who gave their lives, we can give thanks for their sacrifice for their families and our families. As we remember those who came before us, soldiers and saints, that passage in Romans ends with a more familiar comfort that scripture promises us: “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).

One day, when we get to heaven, our questions will be answered. Christ will be waiting, with the saints behind Him and glory surrounding Him, and the Hope we have been longing for will be realized in the face of our Savior.