The Hope Jesus Has Given Me

I am grateful for the gift of eternal life because of the hope that is found in the transformational and unconditional love of Jesus Christ, the One who gave His life for mine.

Jesus' hope and love have been revealed throughout all my life, although there were times when I did not see them in the moment. When I was three-years-old, my father left my mother, and shortly remarried. For many of my years, I never understood why I was not good enough for him. I never understood why he chose the other woman over my mom, and why he chose her three children over my siblings and me. So many of my feelings and decisions were rooted in the unsatisfied desire to be chosen and loved by a father. Why would he not choose me? What would I have to do? Such questions crippled me with fear of not being good enough, of having to earn and prove my right to be loved. Through a personal relationship with Jesus, it has been revealed to me that although my father on earth did not choose to love me first, I can have hope because my Father in Heaven has chosen to love me first. He chose to love me yesterday, He chooses to love me today, and He chooses to love me forever. No matter the circumstances of this life, and by no work of my own, I may have hope because of what Jesus did for me on the cross, as He gave His life that I may know what it is like to be loved first. If it were not for the difficulty I have faced and continue to face with my father on earth, I would not be as grateful for the love given to me by my Father in Heaven. I praise God for every circumstance of this life, for His glory is revealed through it all. I thank God for the riches of His love, for I am loved by Him in ways far beyond what I could ever understand. He is my hope and joy forever, for His love never fails.

The love that Jesus demonstrated in giving His life for mine is the same love that seals my hope in Him forever. In every circumstance, I may have hope because I am forever loved and cherished by the God of the universe. Oh how great are the riches of His love!