All the Hope in the World on a Bad Day

morning light

In the last 36 hours, I’ve made approximately 732 resolutions to always back up my computer hard drive. In the previous 36 hours, I didn’t think even once about my hard drive.

Yep, my computer crashed.

A very bad day.

Everything I can think of that I ever cared about is gone with that computer. (Okay, that’s an exaggeration. Except that most of what I’m thinking about lately is the irreplaceable files stored on that computer. Every couple of hours, I remember ones I had forgotten.)

I’m also feeling grateful for Evernote and its web storage. Evernote is where I keep ideas for blog posts. Usually, when inspiration strikes, I start a new note and just type the title idea and a brief description.

Such was this post. It began some weeks ago in Evernote with the simple words: “All the Hope in the World on a Bad Day: the promises of God.”

Obviously, I didn’t have in mind a computer crash when I jotted that down!

What I did have in mind was Adoniram Judson’s famous quote, “The future is as bright as the promises of God.” I’m thankful for a bright future, but sometimes I think we forget the promises of God also apply to today.

Even when today is a bad day.

Even when it is a computer crash day.

Like you, I’ve had more significant losses in life than electronic files. In ten years time (and I’m positive it will take at least that long), who will care if electronic files are replaced? But we all care ten years later over the loss of people, relationships, dreams, health, and other true “irreplaceables.”

Even on those days, however, we have an unfailing source of hope—the promises of God. In fact, they shine brightest in the darkest times.

Do you know God’s promises? Here are a few:

  • I will never leave you. I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.—Heb 13:5
  • I will make every facet of your life work for good. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.—Romans 8:28
  • I will change you to make you like Me. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.—Romans 8:29
  • I will give you an eternal home with Me. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.—John 14:3
  • I will give you wisdom for today. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.—James 1:5
  • I will provide My grace to match your need. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.—2 Corinthians 12:9
  • I will make your pain a blessing. Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.—2 Corinthians 1:3–4
  • I will forever love you. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.—Romans 8:38–39
  • I will never change. Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.—Hebrews 13:8

God’s promises don’t immediately change our circumstances. Typing the verses above out didn’t restore my computer, and I didn’t expect it to.

But God’s promises can immediately change our perspective. When we remember that the promises above, though unseen, are as real as the circumstances in front of us, we can have hope.

Hope in a God who loves us and is committed to our good.

Hope in a future that sparkles with the goodness of God.

And, yes, even hope in a today that is held in the faithful hand of our faithful God.

Today—this very minute—you and I can have all the hope in the world. You have only to read and believe the promises of God.