Bible Society of South Africa

The source of our hope – 14 January 2020

Neville Turley

(Di)temana ya Bibele

BAROMA 15

13Anke Modimo yo a le fago kholofelo a dire gore ka ge le mo dumetše, le be le lethabo le khutšo ka botlalo, gore kholofelo ya lena e fele e oketšwa ke Moya wo Mokgethwa ka maatla a wona.

BAROMA 15:13NSO00Bula go Mmadi wa Bibele

GENESE 3

8Mantšiboeng ao ba kwa Morena Modimo a itshepelela ka mo serapeng, mme ba mo utamela gare ga mehlare. 9Eupša Morena Modimo a bitša monna a re: “O go kae?”

GENESE 3:8-9NSO00Bula go Mmadi wa Bibele

JEREMIA 17

13Morena, wena Mmotwa wa Baisraele,

bohle ba ba go tlogelago o a ba swabiša.

Ba ba go furalelago ba tla hwelela bjalo ka maina a a ngwadilwego mobung,

ka ge ba tlogetše wena, Morena,

mothopo wa meetse a a phedišago.

JEREMIA 17:13NSO00Bula go Mmadi wa Bibele

BAROMA 5

2Ke yena a re filego mahlogonolo a Modimo ka tumelo ya rena ao bjale re phelago ka ona. Ke ka lebaka leo re ikgantšhago ka letago la gagwe le re le holofetšego.

BAROMA 5:2NSO00Bula go Mmadi wa Bibele

“May God, the source of hope, fill you with all joy and peace by means of your faith in him, so that your hope will continue to grow by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13 (GNT)

There is a lovely word picture of the Lord God walking in the Garden of Eden calling out to Adam, “Where are you?” For Adam and Eve knowing they had done wrong were hiding from God. (Genesis 3:8-9)

They may have been the first to hide from God but they were certainly not the last.  People ashamed of their actions continue to do so today.

It is so much easier to hide from God rather than to turn to him and confess one’s actions. By ignoring him and focusing one’s hopes in worldly structures or the acquisition of wealth is so much more tempting. Sadly, it is also a hell bent road to disaster.

Throughout the Bible the message is loud and clear. God is the source of all hope.

The prophet Jeremiah put it so well: “Lord, you are Israel’s hope; all who abandon you will be put to shame. They will disappear like names written in the dust, because they have abandoned you, the Lord, the spring of fresh water.”(Jeremiah 17:13)

Jeremiah makes it very clear that God is both the hope of the nation as well as the hope of every individual. He is also very clear about the dismal fate that awaits those who turn away from God.

Christian hope derives from and is inseparable from faith in God.  It affirms the belief that what God has begun in Christ will be brought to fruition on the last day. “He has brought us by faith into this experience of God’s grace, in which we now live. And so we boast of the hope we have of sharing God’s glory!”  Romans 5:2)

Now that is something to look forward to. The very thought that we will one day share in God’s glory should fill us with joy and bring peace to one’s heart.

What a great God we serve.

Prayer: Heavenly Father thank you for the hope we have in our Lord Jesus Christ.  Grant that the Holy Spirit will empower us to spread your message of salvation in Jesus name. Amen

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