| Hope While Living In a Broken World - by Joel Hempel Are you as disturbed and disheartened as I am with all of the evil and violence in the world? I know Scripture predicted wars and awful pain until the end of time. I have been inclined not to look at it, but then I think of the people suffering through it and conclude that I need to see the pain, so I don’t give up on praying for their relief and the interruption of evil’s intentions. For those who believe in God and are living amid daily violence in the war zones around the world or nearby in their own home, I can only imagine what is on their lips as they look to God for salvation – now, in this life. In what do we find strength and courage in times of trauma and overwhelming odds? Hope is one of the spiritual resources God offers to combat evil and strengthen our walk through the storm. But what good is hope? Biblical, Christian hope is not wishful thinking. It is confident expectation originating from and securely attached to God’s love and faithfulness (see Romans 5:5; Hebrews 10:23). Love-generated hope creates ever-growing faith and trust within us. And the stronger our faith in Christ our Savior, the more boldly we trust in God’s promises, the less we will be torn apart and tossed around by evil’s personal and global attacks. As St. Paul wrote to the Romans, “Hope [in Jesus Christ and his promises] will not put us to shame.” Hope is our solid foundation. We can build our future on it! If I say I hope I beat Marcia in Rummikub tonight, at best, I have a 50-50 chance that wishful thought will come true. But if I say I hope God will forgive my doubt and strengthen me for what lies ahead, I am confident he will. How can I know that to be true? Read on! I have said these things to you that in me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world (John 16:33). At different times, evil in the world and personal anguish will traumatize all of us. Having experienced such trauma himself, Jesus gets it. But Jesus also gets the last word in our life now and for eternity. That last word? Hope! Hope in Jesus will not disappoint us. Hope in Jesus will get us through and out of whatever depressing or oppressive experience threatens to overwhelm us. Hope rooted in Christ WILL upHOLD us!
NOTE: There was a technical glitch in the posting of the link Joel wanted to be included in his last article. We apologize for the confusion. Here is the link we expect to work this time. The song is entitled Because Jesus Said So. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRiTACBK8QY | 
