Title: Hope in Jesus
Contents
Hope in Jesus (Isaiah 35:1-10)
The scorching desert will be turned into a lake, and the dry land will be turned into a fountain, and grass, reeds, and cattails will grow where the wildcats lie (Isaiah 35:7).
When a person fails, he loses a lot of money, health, people, family, and honor. To fail means to lose something. If you fail and then lose nothing, you are not a failure. The most precious thing lost after failure is 'hope'. If you fail and lose money, lose health, lose honor, and hope that you can get back up, you've lost nothing.
What is the most valuable thing you have gained after success? Not money, people, or fame. I hope that I can do it too. Small successes give you hope to do bigger things in the future. However, there are times in the world when there is really no hope. Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you can't see the way. If you start studying for the exam in your 20s and study until you are over 40, but do not pass the exam, what hope do you have for that person? A poor woman works hard and wants to become rich. But how can a husband hope to become rich if he drinks and gambles and spends only his wife's money? There are really painful circumstances in the world where no matter how hard you try.
The people of Israel who lost their kingdom and were taken to Babylon were in such a situation. No matter how hard they worked, what they got was barely enough food to sustain life. I never dreamed of educating my children, and I couldn't use my learning just because I studied. They were slaves to Babylon. They lost hope. To those who have lost hope, God proclaims hope through the prophet Isaiah.
I tell you not to be discouraged even if you don't see any hope in reality right now. They say that even if you do not see hope as small as the eye of a needle, if God is present, there will be hope. When God is present, the wilderness will become a forest and the desert will become an oasis. Jesus came to us to give us this hope. When Jesus comes to us, we have hope. The problem for us is not the painful circumstances, but the absence of Jesus.
We must confess our sins and invite Jesus to come into us. We must yearn for Jesus more earnestly than longing for money and longing for success. Then Jesus will come into us. In Jesus, there is hope. When Jesus comes, all who are sick will be healed, evil circumstances will be changed, and those who cause suffering will be disciplined.