CJ's REFLECTIONS

It's winter, and it’s Iowa and all of us know that it is cold outside. The kids may be hoping for a snowy day and closed schools, while most of us older folks long for spring, warmer weather and much more sunshine. Which makes me wonder… is hoping for something the same thing as longing for something?

The kids may hope for snow and they may get that hope fulfilled but the weather man has been known to be wrong and snow has been known to fall somewhere else, not here. It doesn’t matter how much the kids hope for snow. The weather has little regard for what we hope for or hope doesn’t happen. On the other hand those of use who long for spring and warmer weather know with some certainty that spring will indeed come, all in due season. We aren’t hoping for that which may or may not happen, we long for that which will happen even though it might not come as fast as we wish it would. Spring will come as it does every year. Just as the sun rises every morning.

Yes there is a difference between hoping for something and longing for something. A few years ago I had some Jehovah Witness come to my door and ask me if they could share with me their “hope for salvation”. Now this was before I became a minister and I told them I would listen to them if they would listen to me. I don’t remember all of the conversation but I know what text I used to state my case.

This in a nut shell was my case. “If someone came into a store you were in and said there was a house on fire on your street, you would sure hope that it wasn’t your house that was on fire. To that they agreed. On the other hand if you were in a store and someone came in and said the house next door to your house was on fire you would be thankful that it wasn’t your house though you would be sad for your neighbor. Then I asked them which case they would like to have happen to them. They agreed that they would prefer the second case over the first. Then I quoted John 20:31 “But these are written so that you may come to believe (know) that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.” I then told them that I was certain of my salvation. Because I believed that Jesus was the Messiah I did not have to hope for salvation. I had received it when I believed in Jesus. Therefore, because I believe that Jesus is the Messiah then, I can long to be with Jesus with some certainty that I will in due season, enter into His eternal presence. I don’t have to settle for a hope of eternity. I have the assurance that someday I will see my Lord. I’ll take that assurance over a hope any day, won’t you?

Hope to see you Sunday

Pastor C.J.