All of us have experienced failure, and the impact of the fall is directly proportional to the height we have risen. Those who reach the pinnacle of success often believe they are untouchable, even though history should have taught us that no one stands so firmly he cannot fall. If you are one of these people who has fallen, take note of another lesson that history teaches us: no one has fallen so terribly that he cannot rise again.
Scripture is filled with stories about fallen heroes. It doesn't gloss over the failures of its superstars (even though we do) and tells it as it happened. So we read about the sinfulness of David and Samson, who gave into their weakness for women; the cowardice of Abraham and Isaac, who passed off their wives as their sisters so that the Egyptians wouldn't kill them; and the animosity between Paul and Barnabas that became so sharp they parted company. We read about how Jeremiah and Job cursed the day they were born, while Elijah and Jonah wished they were dead!
If you have ever wondered why these stories are in the Bible, it is to give us hope because hope is a powerful thing. The enemy tries to take that away because he knows it can destroy us. A working man will put all his energy into his job, hoping his efforts will be noticed and rewarded. Should he lose his job, his hope of getting a better one will sustain him. Take away that hope, and he will sit at home and despair. Take away his hope in life, and you will have succeeded in destroying him completely.
However, when we read Scripture and discover that Spirit-filled men have fallen but risen again, we have the hope that so can we. As Paul attests: "For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope" (Romans 15:4).
Scripture gives additional reason for hope. Hebrews 6:19 states, "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure." This verse is a metaphorical description of the hope that believers have in Jesus Christ. The author of Hebrews compares our hope to an anchor, a device that keeps a boat or ship from drifting away in the water.
Just as an anchor provides stability and security to a ship, our hope in Jesus Christ provides stability and security to our souls. This hope is described as "firm and secure" because it is based on the unchanging promises of God, which are trustworthy and reliable. Our hope in Christ is not subject to the changing circumstances of life but rather is grounded in the unchanging character of God. Our hope in Christ is not just a superficial feeling or emotion but a deep and abiding conviction that gives us purpose and direction in life.
Let us no longer give in to despair, as many of us often do, but choose to live in hope. God be with you.
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