IS THERE ANY HOPE?
Russia's latest scientific advancement has caused no little stir in the world. Some have received it with little apparent concern. Others have been greatly unnerved. It has caused many to wonder what the future holds.
A-bomb! H-bomb! Rockets and intercontinental missiles! Now eerie satellites speed through space.
Is man inventing his own destruction? No one can deny that this globe of ours is sitting upon a veritable atomic "powder-keg." One spark from any corner could send this world of ours into a great conflagration.
What can we do?
Where can we turn?
To whom shall we look?
IS THERE ANY HOPE?
The Bible commands, "hope thou in God." Not until we humans learn this truth shall we escape the dreadful possibility of destruction.
In the Bible, Israel is warned in the language of those times:
"Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay (rely) on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the Lord! Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit. When the Lord shall stretch out his hand, both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that is helped shall fall down, and they all shall fail together. Turn ye unto him from whom the children of Israel have deeply revolted." (Isaiah 31:1,3,6).
To make this more understandable for our day we might paraphrase it to read thus:
"Woe to them that go to the leading nations for help; and trust in planes, bombs, and rockets, because they are many; and in the army, navy, air force, and marines, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One, neither seek the Lord! Now the leading nations are made up of men, and not God; and their weapons of metal and not spirit. When the Lord shall stretch out his hand, both the nations and the individuals shall fall down, and they all shall fail together."
Is there any hope? Only in one direction! Turn ye unto him from whom the children of the world have deeply revolted! Hope thou in God! The Scriptures point out two types of people in the world: Those having hope, and those without hope. In Ephesians 2:12 we read: That at that time ye were without Christ . . . and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no HOPE, and without God in the world. Those without hope are those without God and without Christ in this world.
The hopeful ones are mentioned in Titus 2:11-14; 3:7: For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men . . . that . . . we should (be) . . . looking for that blessed HOPE, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity . . . That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the HOPE of eternal life.
In another place we read, Christ in you, the HOPE of glory (Colossians 1:27). Those with hope are those who have God and who have Christ.
Now, for the question that concerns you. To which of these groups do you belong? Your future need not be dark and foreboding if you join the ranks of the hopeful by turning to the God of hope. The "hope of glory," the "hope of eternal life," the "blessed hope," can be yours if you believe. They are found in Christ Jesus the Lord: " . . . as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name" (John 1:12).
Must you echo this parody of John Newton's famous verse?
Hark the sputniks awful sound!
Or will you sing Newton's words of hope and faith:
