Hope That Lasts
Something bigger than our struggles and stronger than our fears.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 (CSB) – For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the archangel’s voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are still alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.
By the time Friday comes, many of us feel drained. The week’s burdens pile up: stress from work, family conflict, the weight of bad news. For some, discouragement feels heavy. But the gospel points us to a hope that is bigger than our struggles and stronger than our fears.
Paul wrote to the new Christians in Thessalonica who were worried about their loved ones who had died. He reminded them that when Jesus returns, the dead will be raised, and all God’s people will be gathered into His presence forever. That’s why he said, “encourage one another with these words.”
This is not a vague optimism or wishful thinking. It is certain because Jesus Himself rose from the dead. “Because I live, you will live too” (John 14:19). Our hope rests on the unshakable truth of the resurrection.
Peter called it “a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:3-4). Unlike the fragile hopes of this world, money, politics, possessions, and even health, this hope cannot be stolen or diminished.
And it changes how we live right now. Paul said, “We do not want you to be uninformed… so that you will not grieve like the rest, who have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13). Christians still grieve, but we grieve differently, through tears, with hope. Even in the hardest losses, we know the story isn’t over.
This is why we endure. “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58). Our faithfulness has purpose because eternity is real.
So when the news feels bleak, lift your eyes to the horizon: Christ is coming. When sorrow overwhelms, remember: death has already been defeated. When your heart grows weary, cling to this promise: “We will always be with the Lord.”
That’s hope that lasts. That’s hope worth holding. And that’s hope worth sharing.
