Hopes & Dreams
Hebrews 6:19 & Jeremiah 29:11
I recently read an interesting quote, “Just as one cannot live without dreams, one cannot live without hope. If dreams reflect the past, hope summons the future” (Elie Wiesel). Wiesel survived the holocaust and dedicated his life to help keep such an atrocity from ever happening again. Knowing his context, I cannot help but think of the dreams he has from (A) the horror of what he experienced, (B) the dreams of his deliverance, and (C) the hope that links the two together, providing a drive to work for a better future.
We ALL need hope! Hope can sustain us during our difficulties and help us seek a better future, even amidst our own horror stories. Hebrews 6:19 tells us that hope anchors the soul. But hope in what? More accurately, hope in whom? The answer is the Lord — the One who is with us in our troubles and continues to promise that the worst thing that happens to you can never be the last thing that happens to you. He is with you in your nightmarish dreams because of what happened, and He is with you as you dream about a brighter future. God is also with you embodying the power that transforms your hell into a new hope.
Jesus Himself is the bridge from hell to heaven. Let Him also be the same from your horror to hope. He enters the worst parts of life to deliver us into a future with hope. He also wants to show you the promise of eternity and beauty of a life lived engulfed by God’s glory. You need your dreams even though some will feel like nightmares as you relive the worst parts of your story; but don’t stop there, because you also must recall your deliverance. Then, reflect on your promised future with hope, because God has a blessed plan for you (Jeremiah 29:11)!
Talk about hopes and dreams doesn’t often include our nightmares, but I’m sure you know that’s a reality. Trust the Lord to help you experience the deliverance only He can bring, and to fill you with hope for what can be. That hope anchors your soul and directs your gaze to God’s glory. Now you can live your life in such a way where you point people to God. When someone asks how you can have such a perspective after enduring life’s tragedies, that’s the answer. So may your hopes and dreams overcome your own personal hell, help you see the promise of eternity, and enable you to live engulfed in — and radiating! — God’s heavenly glory.
