Hope for Today

I remember nights when I could not sleep, I was racking my brain trying to recall each sin or thing I thought might be sin that I was involved in recently. I would think over words, actions, thoughts until I felt I had gathered them all in and then I would say, “God, please forgive all my sins.” I would always immediately add on “. . . and all the ones I have missed . . . and any sins I will commit in the future too.” As a middle-school child who probably was not a Christian I was aware of the existence of God and terrified of Him. I never fell asleep knowing that I was forgiven. As much as a kid that age can I remember thinking that one day God was going to get me, He was going to grab me up and have His vengeance and there was much to be had.

Fast forward some years later and for the first time I realized, by some means that I would come to understand later, I was completely forgiven if I simply followed Jesus. It was not a matter of my ability to recall each offense I committed against God, rather realizing that my entire nature, not just my actions, was the constant smoke in the eyes of our Maker. And then understanding that the reason Jesus willfully was murdered but defeated death by coming back to life was to change my nature so that I could be obedient to God instead of rebel against Him.

Friend, your life may be fun and not a moment of it tainted with grief or remorse but that does not mean it is the life that is going to extend into eternity. Some call Christians arrogant for stating that the person of Jesus Christ whom they follow is the only avenue into eternal life, and this is just as arrogant as passenger who points out to the unaware driver that there is a child crossing the street up ahead.

As I was back in middle school, awkwardly acknowledging the existence of God, so you may comprehend that some sort of ultimate being exists without even considering that He may have some say in your life and even more, that He may demand it. A life ”lived to the full with no regrets” may not be the best life, and perhaps the unappealing life now may be the one that going to last forever.

There is no hope for tomorrow if you do not wrestle with the One who made all things, and this is because there is no life in the living without a relationship with Him. The good news is that Jesus already died and defeated death and sin. That is the hope for today and for all days: we all sin against a Holy God but His Son stood in our place so we could stand before Him for eternity with exceeding joy.