Seeds of Hope

What brings you a sense of hope as you go about your days? What has troubled you so much that you felt as though all hope was gone? I think the past couple years might have brought us all to places where we faced a new kind of bleakness. The pandemic, the isolation, were difficult on us all on top of our individual times of coping.

In Psalm 128 the psalmist assures us that from grief and pain we can carry seeds that will sow new hope. I remember as I worked through my grief following my husband’s death having such a strong sense that my future was gone. But as I have healed from that deep grief, I realize that I never knew what the future would hold. What we all have are memories of when we have been restored by God. Leaning on those memories is what enables us to move forward in faith, trusting that God is always with us.

Maybe the harvest of our seeds of hope comes this Sunday as we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior. It certainly seems that when we are in states of confusion and sorrow our Lord comes to us. When we need Jesus, He is always there for us. He chose to face death on a cross for the forgiveness of our sins. He who was without sin took on the sins of the world so that we might be reconciled to God. The Lord has given us blessings in our life now and the promise of life eternal spent with Him. We cannot have any greater hope than that.

We can live now as people of the resurrection, people who are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who calls you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” (I Peter 2:9)

We have been clothed in God. The mantle of His forgiveness has been spread over us all. We can face our days, no matter what they bring, with hope because of the mercy, the love and forgiveness that is constantly poured out on us.

Sit quietly today and remember times when God has cared for you. Let these memories be your seeds of hope. God promises whatever the situation, whatever the outcome, He will be present and faithful all the way.

May we all recognize these seeds of hope we nurture within us and turn to the Lord of Love and Grace with eagerness. May our faith grow stronger because of the seeds planted within us. May our discussions with each other be deep and our respect for each other run wide.

Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit, the seed of hope that surpasses our understanding at times but makes us uniquely-made children of God. Jesus fully understands how we navigate our faith journeys. He seems to always meet us exactly where we need to be met. We’ve been given a super power—the Holy Spirit that lives within us through Christ’s death and resurrection. We have been blessed and prepared for our faithful mission here on earth. We have the power of the Holy Spirit stirring within us daily.

On this Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday my prayer is that you feel the seeds of hope planted deep within your heart and that you feel God’s wonderful peace resting on you. May you also feel the power of the Holy Spirit stirring in your limbs. It is that Holy Spirit which waits for what has been dead within us to turn to the Light of the Lord and live. The Holy Spirit wants us to be amazed and full of hope each and every day. It is the Holy Spirit that wants us to show the world the resurrection power that dwells within us.

May each and every one of you have a blessed Easter and may you truly know the enfolding, embracing, clothing of our risen Lord that wraps us in His Loving Arms.