“Now abide faith, hope, love, these three” (1 Corinthians 13:13)
Hope
Dear Children of God! How are you? How were feasts of Lord and Savior Jesus Birthday as well as Feasts of Baptism? We hope you have spent it with your family, neighbors, friends and all beloved ones!
How about your education? There might be those of you who have taken exams or who are currently taking exams and even those getting ready to take exams. Therefore, for those who have taken exams, we wish for good grades; and for students who have not finished their exams, we remind you to be brave and study well in scoring good grades. It is our faith you will receive good results if you learn and study well. Ok! Good!
Little ones, for now we will proceed to our lesson entitled “Hope.” Hope is the base for our faith. And the foundation of hope or anything else is God. Saint Paul in his epistle to the romans said, “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)
Hope exists. It is not material. “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” (Romans 5:1-2)
Dear Children of God! People can live for few days without food or drink. Even without air for few minutes, humans can live. Children! No one can survive a life without hope! Every one of us attempt to live through all the problems we encounter (meet) hoping to one day get a solution. If we did not have hope, we would not have been able to see today passing all the obstacles that was brought on us yesterday and crave (be eager) to see tomorrow.
A student wakes up in the morning and after keeping hygiene, carrying his/her books and exercise books, and going to school, learning, studying and passing all the exams, hopes of entering the university and serving his/her parents, families and country.
Our parents preparing food, clothe, all the necessary education materials and help us study to reach our achievements, is in the hope of making us good, obedient children and servile of Church as well as country. It is stated in the Holy Bible, “For it is written in the Law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.” Is it oxen God is concerned about? Or does He say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written, that he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope.” (1 Corinthians 9-10)
Dear Children of God! If we have difficulty understanding the lessons our teachers teach us in school or our religious fathers at Church, it is better to ask and make them clear for us rather than to hate the teaching or lose hope thinking we could not understand what we learn. We shall never give up!
Hope has much value to Christians; more than the temporary life of earth; we hope to inherit Kingdom of heaven; So we live in inheriting this heavenly life, happiness and honor in the hope of passing all the troubles and hardships up to the end trumping on the evils in worldly life.
Saint Paul in his epistle said, “We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair.” (2 Corinthians 4:8) It is because of this our forefathers said, “Christian does not give up hope.” It is also said, “Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, And the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, And there be no herd in the stalls; Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation” in the Bible. (Habakkuk 3:17-18)
Not having hope or losing hope causes stress; become pain and leads to death. If a sick people do not hope to be healed, it is much probability to only see the misery than being cured. How could the martyr endure (take) all the pain, pass all the hardships if they did not hope for the crown of martyrdom? We must have hope in God to embrace our wish. Prophet David said, “The eyes of all look expectantly to You, and You give them their food in due season.” (Psalm 145:15)
Dear Children of God! When we hope to obtain what we seek (want), it is also by doing what is expected from us; we shall do good deed in order to inherit God’s Kingdom. We have to learn and study well on Church Education to live the expected life and go to the heavenly kingdom.
Our hope is God; He is the one who provides a way out to all the problems. Every time we have hope in Him, things are done for us. Prophet David says, “Indeed, let no one who waits on You be ashamed; Let those be ashamed who deal treacherously without cause.” (Psalm 25:3)
Children, we have seen few from the wide teaching of hope for this lesson; may we remind you to put in to practice what you have leaned.
Farewell! we leave you with warm greetings and hope in meeting you on next the lesson!
May God be with you; Amen!