By Rev. Daniel Yaw

Introduction
Hope is one word many are looking for today.  Just thinking of our country in recent years, many things have caused a shaking in our lives and prompted us to look to God for hope.

The covid situation is still present and we are embracing the fact that anyone could get the disease anytime.  On top of that our political scenario has also caused a stirring in many hearts with the question – is there hope for Malaysia?  Will it now be better?

As I thought of the church today, the same feeling lingers in my mind and heart – where do I find hope and what does it mean to have hope?

A Living Hope
In I Peter 1:3, the apostle talked about being born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

This is what we all have today in our Lord Jesus Christ.  Nothing is done to dampen our spirit and faith because of the hope we have.  Hope keeps us alive, which is why it is called a living hope.  Furthermore, this hope is made alive because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The preacher in Ecclesiastes 9:4 says, “He who is joined with all the living has hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion”.

To dig deeper, the apostle Peter said that this living hope is birthed by God’s mercies towards us and consummated in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Because of God’s mercies, we can be made new, start afresh, and be born again to this living hope in Christ.

A Persevering Hope
Then Paul, the apostle when he wrote to Timothy said, “For to this we toil and strive because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.”

The hope we have in Christ caused us to persevere through all circumstances in life.  The motivation to toil and to strive, in our journey and share the gospel with others is because of the hope we set on Him, the Savior of our souls.

An Abounding Hope
Then Romans 15:13 is a prayer for all of us that, “the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit, you may abound in hope.”

The note is the abounding hope – a hope likened to a thin string that we cling onto that could snap at any crucial moment.  It is an abounding hope – a hope needed for every situation in life.  Whether it is a broken relationship, a troubled marriage, a trying ailment, a struggling financial crisis, a challenging faith, and others, there is always hope for each one of them.  The question is our faith in God.

Can we have hope in Christ?

A Demonstration of Hope.
In the gospel of John, the pulpit hopes to address this issue of hope that we see in Jesus when He was with us on earth.  In Christ, what is demonstrated is hope in the questions of life. 

Conclusion
Our theme for 2023 is “ABOUNDING IN HOPE”, and my prayer for each one of us is that God will indeed fill us with hope that our lives become a fragrance to those around us, giving them the hope that God has given us.

May this new year be a year of hope.  May the God of hope fill you all with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit, you may abound in hope!