Our Ultimate Hope

When Saul’s son heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he lost heart, and all Israel was troubled. 2 Samuel 4:1 (NKJV)

When Ishbosheth heard that Abner, who was the one responsible for putting him in his seat of power, had been killed, he lost hope. He knew that with Abner dead, his days as king were at an end. Two of his captains knew the same thing, and they decided to accelerate the process and killed him. This moment illustrates how trusting in the flesh can lead to despair and instability, as Ishbosheth's reliance on Abner and his own perceived strength ultimately resulted in his downfall. David, who's ultimate hope was in God, had been delivered from many hardships, and was now in position to be king over all Isreal.

Are we like Ishbosheth or are we like David? Where does our ultimate hope lie? Hope is not merely a passive feeling; it is an active state of mind that encourages us to pursue our goals and maintain a positive outlook, even in the face of adversity. When we put our hope in a job, a relationship, the stock market, or our financial situation, we are fooling ourselves. All these can and have failed, and when they do, we lose hope. The only one that we can truly put hope in is Jesus. Hebrews 6:19 says, "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain." Jesus is trustworthy and always there for us. When we lose a job, a relationship goes bad, someone close to us dies, or we lose everything to a fire, we have Jesus to bring us through our adversity. He is our ultimate hope and our strength in bad times.

Choose to make Jesus your ultimate hope. Tell the world how he been there for you. Write a three-minute testimony on how he has brought you through hard times. Be ready to share it with those that may need hope. Let them know that He is your Lord and Savior and He can be theirs too, because God is your ultimate hope.