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      The Lutheran Church is the largest Protestant church in the world, with over 70 million members. This website tells the story of Australian and New Zealand Lutherans, following Jesus Christ – where love comes to life. Whoever you are, whatever your story, you're welcome here with us.
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Hopeless!

28 July 2020


Print Friendly, PDF & Email

by Darren Pope

Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.

 

‘Then people go to their eternal home …’ (Ecclesiastes 12:5c).

Read Ecclesiastes 11:9–12:7

Argh! I can’t believe that just happened! This is absolutely hopeless! Have you ever had one of those days where everything you touch, everything you do and everything you say goes wrong? Maybe it went on for longer than a day. Hmm, that sounds a bit like 2020 so far, doesn’t it?

It isn’t clear how old King Solomon was when he wrote Ecclesiastes, but in this portion of his writing, he shares verse after verse of negativity, despair, death and bold hopelessness. Reading this stuff can be discouraging. Wow, this sense of being completely flattened by something really drains the fuel from your tank. A downward spiral can kick off and seem to accelerate with each moment. Oh no, this is hopeless. So, how do I get out of this?

Subtly, Solomon unveils real, lasting hope. Like a small country town on a long road trip, did you miss it? Solomon certainly needed the assurance of unconditional love in his life. Buried deep in his dreary dilemmas, Solomon proclaims two amazing and awe-inspiring positive truths about our ever gracious and loving Lord. The declaration is so small and yet so mighty that it’s worth reading the words again. Go back and check them out. See what you find, and then come back and read on.

Did you spot them this time?

Knowing that God is the giver of all life and that people go to their eternal home guarantees that hope is a gift from God that is alive, vibrant and real. How good is it that hope doesn’t rely on us or anything we do or can’t do, or mess up or try to fix up! It is all God’s work. He comes to us in every moment and authentically understands that life on earth isn’t shiny. He gets the ugly stuff. When everything seems lost, he sits quietly in the ashes with us, puts his arms around us and loves us.

Hopeless? No way! God’s got you. You are bathed in his grace today and every day. Rest in the comfort of his love.

Lord, I am yours. Thank you for loving me, no matter what. Your unconditional love fills my tank and gives me hope. Lord, let’s get into the day together. Amen.


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