A Certain Hope
In Christ, the world’s uncertainty need not lead you to despair. God’s promises give you a certain hope for the future.
George Will recently reviewed James Marriott’s new book, The New Dark Ages: The Death of Reading and the Dawn of the Post-Literate Society. That title is bleak enough; yet what caught my eye was this observation: engaging with the printed word in book form “changed how people thought.”
Engaging with the Bible takes time, study, and reflection. But taking time, in the words of Psalm 91:1, to “dwell in the shelter of the Most High” has changed how I think, view the world, and anticipate the future.
Those of us who make a habit of reading may grow cynical about the direction this world is taking and wonder if there’s any hope. We ask ourselves, “How can anything reverse what appears to be a downward spiral in our culture and world?”
But as I read the Bible, I’m reassured by the closing words of Psalm 91:16 (ESV): “and show him my salvation.”
I love that God, through the psalmist, addressed a pervasive fear many people experience. We ask: Will I live long enough to see good triumph in this world? Will my kids grow up faithful and successful? Will anything I’ve done matter?
Without the Lord’s patience and reassurance, our natural inclination is toward cynicism and doubt. We’re just like Thomas who, after being told that Jesus had risen from the dead, declared, “I won’t believe it unless I see…” (John 20:25 NLT). Haven’t you also wondered about these things?
Yet Jesus showed himself to Thomas, who then declared, “My Lord and my God!”
Read again the words of Psalm 91:16 and God’s promise to those who faithfully rest in the shadow of the Almighty: He will show them His salvation. We who believe that Jesus is Lord will see what we’ve hoped for!
Is our hope merely for safety and security in this world? No. We also hope for eternal security—especially the older we get. In his younger years, the apostle John saw the glorified Savior on the mountain with Moses and Elijah. In his later years, he wrote, “we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2 ESV).
Should we put off believing until our dying breath? No. There’s no certainty we’ll have time to change our minds, let alone turn from the calloused habits of unbelief. Jeremiah 13:16 urges, “Give glory to the Lord your God before he brings darkness, before your feet stumble on the twilight mountains, and while you look for light he turns it into gloom and makes it deep darkness.”
If you rest in the shadow of the Most High, you will certainly see God’s protection and salvation. Our hope doesn’t depend on our ability to read but on believing the promises of God.
Today, read Psalm 91 slowly. Bring one fear about your future to God, and meditate on His promises to you in Christ Jesus. Rest in His shadow. You will see His salvation.
