A Spark of Hope

By: Lauren Thomas 

The enemy of our souls takes so much. His schemes are to kill, steal, and destroy. Where we see any kind of death or destruction, we know he has been at work. But there is something he cannot take from us, something he cannot destroy. 

The spark of hope. 

 

God has put something in our hearts that tells us there is more. It tells us that the bad things we see and experience are not playing out the way they ought. It tells us God intended better. 

 

He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart…

Ecclesiastes 3:11a ESV (emphasis added)

 

When we hear of a young life tragically taken, we know in our hearts, “it wasn’t supposed to be like this.”

 

When we see suffering, we know, “this isn’t how it’s supposed to be.” 

 

When families are torn apart by any number of evils from war to interpersonal conflict, we know, “this isn’t right.”

 

C.S. Lewis put it this way in his book, Mere Christianity:

 

If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world. 

 

This is the spark of hope. Satan cannot take this spark from us. 

 

He might destroy our dreams, our expectations. Maybe even at times it feels that he has stolen our hope. But our hearts know intrinsically a greater, purer, more beautiful ideal. Our hearts hold up this ideal against every evil we encounter. That is something that the Enemy can never take away. It is a reminder of the Garden, a homesickness for Heaven. It is a spark of hope. 

 

When that spark of hope is fanned into flame, it becomes a hope that will not, cannot disappoint.

 

And this hope will not lead to disappointment. 

Romans 5:5a NLT

 

One day, with Jesus in heaven, when he restores all things, where every tear is wiped away, where there is no more sickness, no more death, no more struggle, the eternity that God placed in our hearts will find its home. And our hope will be satisfied. 

 

If you feel hopeless, remember this: your desire for better is a spark of hope, placed in your heart by our Creator. It cannot be taken from you. And one day, that hope can be fulfilled in Jesus. 

 

6 On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples

a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine,

of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.

7 And he will swallow up on this mountain

the covering that is cast over all peoples,

the veil that is spread over all nations.

8     He will swallow up death forever;

and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces,

and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth,

for the Lord has spoken.

9 It will be said on that day,

“Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us.

This is the Lord; we have waited for him;

let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”

Isaiah 25:6-9 ESV

 

Reflection:

Where do you currently see the enemy working in your life or in the life of a loved one?

Dare to name that spark of hope… What broken thing in your life do you see, yet believe that God has better plans for?

Take these before God in prayer! Ask Him to fan that spark of hope into a flame of hope that will not disappoint.