"Hope is a good thing."

Remember Red, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.

That's the beauty of music. They can't get that from you... Haven't you ever felt that way about music?

I played a mean harmonica as a younger man. Lost interest in it though. Didn't make much sense in here.

Here's where it makes the most sense. You need it so you don't forget.

Forget?

Forget that... there are places in this world that aren't made out of stone. That there's something inside... that they can't get to, that they can't touch. That's yours.

What're you talking about?

Hope.

These are a couple quotes from the movie, The Shawshank Redemption. I often wonder why they can't make a movie without a lot of profanity. I would not hesitate to refer everyone I know to watch this movie, if they haven't already, but it is a little rough at times when it comes to the language. This is unfortunate, because the theme of the movie is something that many of us need to be reminded of every day.

I guess there are different kinds of hope. There is the kind like, I hope I get a bike for Christmas or I hope it doesn't rain this afternoon or I hope I am not tired in the morning from staying up so late typing on the computer.

Then there is the hope that you really don't put into words. To me, hope is like an awareness that these things that I go through from day to day are not in vain. It means to me that there is a promise waiting for me that will be so worth the wait. It is hard to explain, but it is just a confidence that this will all have a happy ending. Everything will be OK.

Most of the time when you say that, people think you need a reality check. They think that you don't know what you are talking about and you haven't been through anything that would make you believe that things may not end happily. Maybe they are right. Maybe for them, the promise of peace and joy is just not a reality. I suppose that is what creates those voids in people's lives. The sunken feeling inside that we all desire to fill with something. Something that satisfies us and pacifies us. I guess that is where the other hope comes in to play. I must admit at times I get a bit disillusioned as well. I lose sight of my hope and I have to replace it immediately with something. This must be where we get off track. When we start following the path of the quick fixes to our lack of peace and happiness and stop relying on God to guide us in His path.

I have been so blessed in my life. A wonderful family, an awesome wife, two "perfect" little girls, great friends. Thank you God for these blessings.

This past Sunday, a man in our Sunday School class talked about the struggles that he and his wife had gone through in trying to have a child. It was obvious that this time period in his life was very painful. But they kept on believing and things finally worked out in the end. He told us that he felt great comfort in reading Psalms 25. So we read Psalms 25. As soon as we began reading it, I was hearing the words to one of my favorite Third Days songs called My Hope Is You. It goes like this:

To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.

In you, O God, I place my trust.

Do not let me be put to shame.

Nor let my enemies triumph over me

My hope is you

Show me your ways

Guide me in Truth

In all my days

My hope is you

I am, O Lord, filled with your love

You are, O God, my salvation

Guard my life and rescue me

My broken spirit shouts

My mended heart cries out...My hope is you

Me, in my infinite Bible knowledge, never knew where the words to this song came from. I mean I know that they get nearly all of their lyrics from the Bible, but I don't always know where they come from.

What a wonderful thing for this man to share with us. Whatever has got you down today, please take a moment and remember the promise God has given to us. Remember that hope IS a good thing and good things never die.

Romans 15:13 (NLT) So I pray that God, who gives you hope, will keep you happy and full of peace as you believe in Him. May you overflow with hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.