The Audacity of the Blessed, Living Hope

Hello! It has been a few weeks since I posted. Please forgive me if I don't blog very often. I am interested in putting into words what I feel "led" to write by the Holy Spirit. Many bloggers enjoy sharing tales of their personal lives. My life is just not that exciting. In fact, it might be to some downright boring.

But Barack Obama, now that's an exciting life. Did you see any of yesterday's inauguration? The pomp and ceremony. The grandeur. Michelle's clothes. Those sweet little girls. I cried all day. Like a wedding, it was just beautiful. Sniff. Sniff.

I must admit that I enjoy politics. Don't get me wrong, I am not political. I value being straightforward and I often think that politics hides things. Let your "yes" be "yes," and your "no" be "no," I say. Well actually, the Bible says that in Matthew 5:37. But I do think that politics and Biblical prophecy are intertwined. We are moving forward to something spectacular that God has planned for us and the progression toward this spectacular something is played out on the worldwide social and political scenes. My opinion.

Just think: A few years ago a fledgling politician named Barack Obama gave a speech and entitled it (and a subsequent book) "The Audacity of Hope." Through this speech, he tapped into a profound need of the American people, who had long before lost hope in the so-called American dream. Before you know it, millions upon millions of people were putting their trust in a solitary charismatic leader to bring to culmination their deepest hopes.

What do American people hope for? And is what we hope for actually going to fulfill us? And even if our hopes can be fulfilled, can Obama and his team accomplish that in a span of four (or eight) years?

I would like to offer a humble opinion that some of our deepest hopes can't be fulfilled by changes in public policy, regardless of how hard Obama works. Believe me, I would feel alot safer if I had health insurance, but I think better economic conditions are a temporary fix to what ails us. I, like you, want world peace. But I don't see where we have ever had that. War, conflict, and strife have always existed. I want violence to end, but I'm not sure it will. In fact, Biblical prophecy points us to a bigger war with the long-expected coming again of Jesus Christ.

Now that's something to hope for. In fact, some churches refer to the second coming of Christ as the "Blessed Hope," after the verse in Titus 2:13: "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ."

In many ways, Americans are looking to Barack Obama to act as our "savior," to save us from our fears and from our pain associated with this world's realities. And if all goes Obama's way, he might meet some of the American people's expectations, and make some positive changes. But will it really be enough?

Consider this message of hope, a living hope:

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy we have been born anew to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and to an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time" (I Peter 1:3-5).

Let's be careful not to put too much hope on Barack Obama's back. He is only a man. He has limited power to help. Look toward God. His power is infinite.

Look at the difference in this perspective in Psalm 121:1-8:
I will lift up my eyes to the mountains;
From where shall my help come?
My help comes from the LORD,
Who made heaven and earth.
He will not allow your foot to slip;
He who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, He who keeps Israel
Will neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD is your keeper;
The LORD is your shade on your right hand.
The sun will not smite you by day,
Nor the moon by night.
The LORD will protect you from all evil;
He will keep your soul.
The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in,
From this time forth and forever.

Now that's hope!