by Ryan Thomas

March 15 Hope: Fearless and Fierce Ruth 1

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:28

Hope is not only faith facing forward. It is also love liberated from fear. Fear is the opposite of hope. Whereas hope is expectation of good, fear only expects evil. Obsessing over some ominous “future” that never actually arrives, fear isolates its victims from the goodness of God, both past and present. Although hope looks to the future, it ultimately depends on the past. Through the finished work of Christ, our sinful pasts are redeemed, and our uncertain futures secured. We are their prisoners no longer.

Fear affects many things, especially our ability to love. “Perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment” (1 John 4:18). Love requires us to become vulnerable, exposing us to exploitation or hurt. Hope frees us to love generously because it expects good, not evil. Does this mean trouble will never find us? No. Unchained, though not necessarily untroubled, hope stares fiercely into the night, knowing even the smallest ray of hope can pierce the deep darkness of fear and despair.

“There is no opponent we face – whether personal. financial, spiritual or biological – that can keep us from entering into the joy which Christ earned for us.”

Charles K. Telfer, 2014

Remember, this was sent to me by a prison pen pal. We are certain there is Covid-19 in the prisons. God only knows what the death toll will be there. Lots of common areas and shared spaces. God be with them as their “hope faces forward and stares fiercely into the night, knowing even the smallest ray of hope can pierce the deep darkness of fear and despair.” Please include prisons in your prayers.