“I meet millions who tell me that they feel demoralized by the decay around us. Where is the hope? The hope that each of us have is not in who governs us, or what laws are passed, or what great things that we do as a nation. Our hope is in the power of God working through the hearts of people, and that’s where our hope is in this country; that’s where our hope is in life.” This quote is from a sermon I heard this weekend by Chuck Colson. It has been more than a decade since I first heard him speak these words, and they still give me chills. They seemed especially relevant today, when neighbors are ready to fight neighbors over matters of political division, prices for everything seem to be skyrocketing, it seems like a weekly occurrence for the news to announce riots happening somewhere in America, and coming out of a year where a virus caused us to go into lockdowns. Illnesses and the loss of beloved neighbors in recent weeks underline this idea. It can seem like everything is out of control and hopeless. Chuck Colson’s words draw out a truth that is important to come back to over and over again as we mourn, worry, boil with outrage, weep, and even celebrate. We live in a wonderful country with material blessings that surpass anything that anyone in history has experienced. However, there is no hope in that. We enjoy peace and prosperity protected by the most powerful military machine that has ever existed. In the end, it is only the will of God that allows it. I think 2020 illustrated that perfectly when a virus struck fear into our hearts and brought the great machinery of our country to a standstill. Whether you believe it was legitimate to react to Covid the way we did or not, the truth that we our sense of security and comfort are rooted wholly in the hand of providence protecting us is hard to miss in the truths behind the events of the last 18 months. In Psalm 30, the author explains that he thought he was secure and allowed his pride to make him believe that he was the source of all his success in life. Calamity forced him to turn and seek out God’s protection, healing, and salvation. We would be wise to do the same. It’s not wrong to enjoy the gifts God has given us or to rest in the comfort He provides. The big trick is to back up and say “thank you” and to honor Him. Our hope is not in the next election cycle, the next miracle cure, the concealed carry we have tucked under our shirt, or the money we have stashed away for a rainy day. Our hope is in the power of God working through His people. We praise Him in good times and cry out to Him in times of loss. He is our hope and our comfort. I am grateful for this because if our hope can be upturned by an election or a downturn in the stock market, then it is not really hope at all.
