Faithful Hope

In the March/April issue of Christianity Today, Russell Moore shares an interaction he had with a person from a prosperity gospel background who had been told it was her lack of faith that was the reason for her sickness and poverty. Because of the misconception of what faith means, he told her, “Why don’t we forget faith for a little while and just trust Jesus?” The article then goes on to clarify a similar misconception about the word hope. “When pressed to define what they mean, [many] ultimately describe what they’re seeking as measurable reassurance—the calming word from an authority that everything will turn out okay… The problem, though, is that this kind of hope disappoints.”

Faith and hope both require trusting Jesus to do what He has promised—nothing more and nothing less. It’s true that “God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19), but it is also true that we often fail to accurately discern between wants and needs (as I noted in my last post). We hope to see churches that are growing in numbers and activity, but it may be that God’s work is not quite that evident or tangible. We love freedom of religion, but God loves sufferers and sinners.

I’m reminded of the Bob Marley song “Three Little Birds” that says, “Don’t worry about a thing, ‘cause every little thing gonna be alright.” While that is an appealing idea, it’s balderdash from a human perspective. Everything is not going to be alright in this world. There will be sickness, suffering, destruction, deception, wars and rumors of wars. Jesus said, “All these are but the beginning of the birth pains” (Matt. 24:8), and Paul added, “the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies” (Rom. 8:22-23). All the pains won’t dissipate until Christ returns, so we can’t pin our hope on measurable results or make those results the proof of our faith.

Ultimately, what matters is not statistical growth or visible results, but the fact that Jesus died, rose from the dead, and is coming again. That’s where our faith and hope must dwell. Everything will be alright only after Jesus has returned, the final judgment is completed, and we have access to the new heavens and new earth in which righteousness dwells (2 Pet. 3:13).

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful” (Heb. 10:23).

© 2026 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Now and Then

Happiness. Contentment. Belonging. Acceptance. Ability. Productivity. Confidence. Those are all good things, right? Things we ought to pursue? Maybe not. As many have said, when good things become “god things” we’ve got a problem, and that problem is idolatry. Most of us would agree that our modern culture pursues all those things by focusing on self. Many think “If it makes me feel good, it must be good.” And a parallel thought is, “If you make me feel bad about myself, you must be bad.”

Sometimes I wonder if God is shaking His head and saying, “Why do you think you are in charge?” From Genesis 3 onward, mankind has assumed that we know what’s best for ourselves. Even some segments of the Church have decided they can pick and choose what parts of Scripture they can discard, because surely “God wants me to be happy!” Jesus had a different perspective:

“If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul?” (Mark 8:34-37).

God didn’t promise us happiness, acceptance, or self-confidence in this life. Quite the opposite, in fact. Jesus said the truly blessed are those who mourn the state of this world, who recognize their limitations, who pursue righteousness, and may be persecuted for the sake of righteousness (Matt. 5:3-12).

Unfortunately, there are many people in the world who are pursuing temporal satisfaction at the expense of eternal joy and peace, and who will one day hear “Depart from Me, I never knew you.” Christians can, and must, point to God as the ultimate authority over every life and to Jesus Christ as the only One who can redeem us from our sinful state. At the same time, we recognize that we cannot change hearts and minds by our own abilities. It is up to the Holy Spirit to open blind eyes and bring about conviction, repentance, and true belief. The Apostle Paul reminds us:

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies” (2 Cor. 4:7-10).

One day we will enjoy perfect joy, contentment, belonging, love, peace, and rest, but that Day has not yet come in its fullness. For the time being, we remind one another that “this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” (2 Cor. 4:17). Every sacrifice, suffering, and struggle for holiness in this life will be more than worthwhile when that final Day comes. Keep holding on to what you know is true in Christ!

“And this is eternal life, that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (John 17:3).

© 2026 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.