Christian Comment with Martin Pearson, Pastor – Stroud Christian Fellowship

@MartinKPearson

THERE is always hope…

It’s confession time, I don’t like football and have no interest in the world cup, however, I am aware that this is a significant event for many in our nation, and passions run high.

One thing has increased as England have passed each milestone.

Hope

Hope that we’d get out of the group stages

Hope that we’d beat Columbia

Hope that we could win on penalties one day

Hope that we could beat Sweden

Hope that we can win the world cup – again!

Hope is commonly used to mean a wish; its strength is the strength of the person's desire.

In the Bible, hope is the confident expectation of what God has promised and its strength is in His faithfulness.

As a follower of Christ my hope looks forward, it is fuelled by a confidence in the God who loves me, the God who has forgiven me, and the God who gives me a sure hope for the future and includes me in His family.

John Sentamu the Archbishop of York describes hope as being when “we believe and watch the evidence change”

“Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm,

for God can be trusted to keep his promise.”

Hebrews 10:23

Tonight at 7pm, thousands will be hoping, and in some cases praying, that England will beat Croatia.

Hope will remain for England to go on and win the world cup.

A word of warning though, however much we might not want to contemplate it, at some point in the future, this year or next, England will again be beaten and lose, we can’t win every game and those same fans that cheered them on will feel let down.

I can confidently say, Jesus never has, and never will let me down, I believe in Him and I constantly see the evidence change before my eyes as I see prayers answered and lives transformed.

I trust him to keep his promises permanently.

There is always hope…

“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Rom 15:13