Hope Now: 27 Days to Peace, Healing, and Justiceਨਮੂਨਾ

Hope and the kingdom near you

You might need hope right now. You might be facing an incredibly difficult situation you never dreamed of or thought possible. If the kingdom is near you, hope isn’t far.

To delay the possibility of hope is to make the heart sick. A heart that’s sick needs healing. False hope raises expectations, disappoints, and leads to a worse situation than before. On the other hand, to provide hope when it’s needed brings life to those in need.

The phrase “tree of life” in the Hebrew language is “tree of lives,” conveying the idea that it comforts and invigorates both body and soul. It provides healing for a sick heart.

In the kingdom, the King brings healing and hope for its inhabitants and for the nations. I came to the realization that healing and hope must not be deferred in the work I do, leading Buckner International. Over the years, I have yet to engage a vulnerable child, an orphan child, a struggling family, or senior adult who did not need hope right at that moment.

Hope is the “ultimate Christian hope” that points the way toward the possibility of change, rescue, transformation, and new possibilities within the world in the present. Hope is possible because the kingdom is near. But does this truth of kingdom nearness reverberate in our minds, our relationships, and our daily experiences? Have you thought about the kingdom near you?

Questions for Reflection:

• Have you thought of the kingdom coming near through your church?
• Have you considered the kingdom coming near in the wider community of Jesus?