“Our hope is now – and not yet!” These words resonated from Josh Fox as he led our worship time Sunday. It seems Don and I have increasing numbers of friends facing long-term or terminal illness, loneliness, family crises, widowhood. So where do we anchor our souls? Edward Mote penned these words in 1834.

He is Risen – Just as He promised

“My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
…
When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.

…When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay.

On Christ the Solid Rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand.”

And so, we have hope now because …

Jesus has promised never to leave us nor forsake us. Hebrews 13:5

He has told us to cast all our anxiety on Him, because He cares for us. I Peter 5:7

He knows our tears in and is touched by our pain.

“You’ve kept track of my every toss and turn through the sleepless nights,
Each tear entered in your ledger, each ache written in your book.” Psalm 56:8 THE MESSAGE

But our hope is also “not yet.” It will not be complete until we meet Jesus face to face in eternity. Never-ending life with Christ, worshiping and praising God in a universe without pain, sin, loss, tears, is the “not yet.” Our hope is “now … and not yet.”

“Let not your heart be troubled. You are trusting God, now trust in me. There are many homes up there where my Father lives, and I am going to prepare them for your coming. When everything is ready, then I will come and get you, so that you can always be with me where I am. If this weren’t so, I would tell you plainly. And you know where I am going and how to get there.” John 14:1-4 TLB

If you would like to know more about this hope, for “now … and not yet,” I’d love to hear from you.