Hope Centered in Christ
“Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.” — Psalm 31:24
In John Bunyan’s classic, Pilgrim’s Progress, the character Christian reaches the shores of the celestial river with his companion, Hopeful. It's Hopeful who leads the pilgrim to the other side to the golden city. As Christian crosses the dark, turbulent river of death, he nearly drowns in the flooding waves. The water is deep, and he loses his footing. Whirlpools sweep in circles, and Christian becomes disoriented, feeling like he has lost his way. Nevertheless, he keeps holding on to the shoulder of his steady companion, Hopeful. Hopeful keeps his eyes on the opposite bank of the river. Christian may have lost his way, but not Hopeful. Hope in Christ never disappoints us — not in life, and not even at the prospect of death. When we lose our footing and find ourselves disoriented, all we need to do is hold onto Jesus. He is our Blessed Hope, and He knows the way. In fact, He is the way.
