Hope Has a Name

The amazing reality was not that I found God, though that was life-changing, but that He had been seeking me all along.  I was important to Him.  He loved me deeply.  I was never beyond His reach.

Though I was on the raging sea of despair, far from the peaceful shore of God’s harbor of new beginnings, hope was always there.  I simply needed to reach out and take His hand when the waters grew deep.  Even though the crashing waves of sin and degradation surrounded me, threatening to sink the vessel God had created—a vessel marked by human frailty and fear of what might come next—there was still hope.

When the uncertainty of tomorrow weighs heavily on us and we struggle to find a place of rest, Jesus remains present in the midst of our storm.  He is ready to speak, “Peace!  Be still!” over the winds and waves that awaken fear, pain, and unanswered questions within our hearts.  In those moments, we may find ourselves crying, “Does anyone care that I am perishing?  Is this thought telling me the truth, or is it leading me into deception?”

Then, in the stillness of our spirit, we hear His gentle voice: “Hope is more than a feeling or a wish for better days.  True hope has a name.  My name is Jesus.  I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.”

When I reached out my hand to receive God’s life preserver—Jesus Christ—I finally understood that He had been in control all along because of His unfailing love.  From the cross of Calvary, He was calling my name, reaching out to me through the corridor of time.  He saw my desperate condition and lovingly said, “Take My hand and live.  I will save you, My child.”

I have learned that every promise of God, every assurance of peace, and every confidence for tomorrow are found in Him.  By His grace I stand against the storms of life, not in my own strength, but in His.  I walk in hope, because hope has a name—Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God.  He alone is the answer to life’s deepest struggles.  He is our Harbor of Rest and our assurance of eternal life with Him in heaven when we come to God in repentance and place our faith in Jesus Christ.

Written by,

Papa Boyd