“I hope it doesn’t rain today.” “I hope I get to ride my bike this afternoon.” “I hope my meetings go well today.”

So shallow. When hope is seen in a different depth, from a different perspective, some hope seems shallow. The hope which matters is not the hope of weather or activities; it is the hope of eternal things. It is the hope which truly matters.

It is the hope which is only found vertically. The shallow hope is horizontal.  It is the hope found in things, people, or circumstances. It is the hope-which Tripp says embarrasses me-that is temporary. People will fail me. All I pursue is fleeting.

Only one thing stands. Only one thing lasts. Actually, it’s not a thing; it is a Person. He is my only reliable hope and my only reliable Source of hope. He has “earned” that distinction. Just as Christmas is proof-positive of God’s faithfulness, so the cross and resurrection is proof-positive of God’s ability to give lasting hope. I like what Tripp says:

The grace of the cross is not just grace that forgives and accepts, but grace that also supplies me with everything I need until I am needy no more.

“Father, my hope is in You. It is found in You. It finds its base in You. It finds its roots in You. It finds it fulfillment in You. I pray for everlasting and satisfying hope today.”