Faith, Hope and. . . .

“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.”

1 Corinthians 13:13a (NIV)



Paul writes to the Corinthian believers to explain the foundational elements in living a life for Christ. He states this very simply.

The first element, faith, grows as we learn to trust God for the outcomes of issues in our lives. We nourish or faith through prayer and Bible reading. Spurgeon calls faith the root grace.

It is because of our faith that we become grounded in our relationship with Christ. Fellowship with like-minded believers adds to the process of strengthening our faith.

Element number two, hope-defined as reliance on God’s blessing, becomes greater for us as we learn to depend on Him. A dear friend had a surgical procedure done the beginning of Christmas week. The first study produced inconclusive results. A second study-what I consider an old school approach- caused her to wait an extra week to find out she did not have Cancer. She and her family relied on God to get through the extended time of uncertainty.

Faith and hope both play important parts in our lives in times of hardship-unemployment, health crises, inter personal issues, when we have been victimized.

Faith becomes real during times of strife. Hope stands like a beacon on a coastline. Its light draws us to safety as we travel through rough waters while we await the arrival of outcomes and results.



Two updates on the situations I mentioned above-my friend got back the best news she could receive; she has no Cancer. Our son, unemployed for almost two years has found a job.