Our Hope Has a Name: Jesus Christ
Saturday’s Verse:
From Jeremiah 29:11 ESV
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfareand not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
You’ve probably seen this verse printed on coffee mugs and greeting cards. But stop for a second and consider what God is saying here. This isn’t a comforting thought meant to soothe us. This is a rock solid promise from God to His people, in exile. Jeremiah is speaking this to the Israelites who are living far from home, away from the temple, not sure if they’d ever see the promises of God fulfilled.
God says, “I have a hope. Not a ‘hope springs eternal’ sort of thing — but a hope you can bank on. A future. A plan. And it’s not based on how good you are. It’s based on how faithful I will be.”
As Christians, we know that hope has a name: Jesus Christ.
The cross of Christ reveals to us the kind of God we are trusting. It’s a God who doesn’t leave us in our exile. He steps into it. Takes the punishment, and makes our future secure.His resurrection proves that no darkness, no failure, not even death can stop God’s plan for us.
In Christ we have forgiveness. We have eternal life. We have a living Savior. That’s a hope no exile can erase.
Prayers
A Prayer for Today:
Lord, when life feels uncertain, remind me that Your plans are certain. Thank You for giving me a future that’s anchored in Christ — not in my strength, but in Your grace. Help me live each day with eyes fixed on Jesus, my living hope. Amen.
Apostles’ Creed:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Luther’s Morning Prayer:
I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands, I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.
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