Within you is exactly what you need to get through whatever you’re going through. At this moment you have what it takes to carry you through. And whatever is coming your way in the future, you will have what is needed for that moment when it comes.

Have you ever gone through something so unimaginably hard, yet somehow had ability to walk through it? Did you look back and see what you needed was indeed provided and it came just when you needed it? That was God. That is God doing what only he can do in your life. Don’t miss that. And don’t forget he will do it again and again for you. For what is happening today, and what is coming tomorrow that you have not yet seen, he will provide exactly what you need.

1 Peter 1: 3 “In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead”

Easter is this weekend. It’s probably my favorite holiday. It’s when we remember the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross and his resurrection which changed everything. As this scripture tells us, this resurrection of Jesus gives us LIVING HOPE.

You have LIVING hope. Not stagnant hope. Not limited hope. Not measured hope. Not a ‘has been’ hope. Living hope.

The Greek term for hope in this passage means “an eager, confident expectation.” And living means it is alive, it is active and growing. This is the hope Jesus has given you through his resurrection. This is the hope dwelling within you now. Hope that is alive.

Not hope that is like a wish, but hope that grows to fill the space it is invited into. LIVING HOPE. Hope that seeps through the tiniest cracks of disappointment, and hope that fills gaping holes of loss. This living hope is not measured or limited in any way. It is here for you today and it will not run out tomorrow. And when you encounter a tomorrow that is more than you can handle, then it will grow to meet the need and carry you through in ways you cannot imagine.

This living hope originates from a living, resurrected Savior. Now his Spirit lives within us and we have hope. That hope is ALIVE. It is moving. It is growing. It is here today in the exact shape and form to fill your spaces of need. This is why I’m here today filled with the exact hope for what I’m going through, while you’re here today filled with the exact hope you need for what you’re going through, and those are two totally different things, yet your need does not threaten my supply, nor does my need take from you. That hope is ALIVE.

We don’t get this from a jar. We don’t get this from a book. We don’t get this from a class or seminar. This hope that is alive and growing, moving and filling is Jesus dwelling within us, strengthening us to live today with confident expectation.

Peter wrote these words in a letter to Christians who were suffering persecution. His words were to encourage them in their troubles. Imagine reading these words as you’re afraid for your life. Imagine reading these words as chaos surrounds you and everything you once had has been taken away. “In his great mercy he has given you new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead”

This living hope allowed them to continue living without despair. And these words are here to do the same for you today. Whatever you’re facing, whatever you’re going through, whatever your reality is today, you can live today without despair. Because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, you have a living hope inside of you. That hope will grow to fill this exact space and meet your exact need. And whatever comes tomorrow, that living hope will be there once again in perfect proportion.

Life is a roller coaster ride of ups and downs. Some days my needs are overwhelming, and other days my needs are minimal. On all days, the hope that is alive and living within me expands to fill the big empty spaces, and contracts to seep into the tiniest cracks. I am always covered. I am always filled.

And so are you. What Jesus did for you provides you the gift of LIVING HOPE. Hope that is alive, growing, moving and filling you. Hope that is here in perfect proportion to your need today.

Hebrews 6:19 speaks of this living hope and says “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.”

An anchor serves to keep a boat secure and not allow drift. It steadies the boat in position. The living hope Jesus offers us keeps us from drifting off into deep, dark, overwhelming waters. It keeps us from crashing onto desolate shores of deserted islands where we are never meant to dwell. This hope anchors us in truth. It keeps us afloat when the storms rage. It holds us steady when life has become so uncertain.

This is how we get through things we have no idea how we’re going to get through. This is how you have peace when the job has been lost, when the doctor delivers bad news, when the prognosis is bleak, when the relationship is broken, when the door is slammed, when the answer is no, when the forecast is only getting worse … you have peace only through a LIVING HOPE. A hope that is alive, moving, growing and responding to what is happening.

Philippians 4:7 “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Yes, this is the peace that doesn’t make sense to have peace. It is the result of a living hope that never runs out in the life of a believer of Jesus. Oh it may feel like it’s going to run out. It may feel hopeless and look pretty darn dark at times, but that living hope is growing within, strengthening within, filling within, bringing peace that doesn’t make sense in the middle of this storm. Protecting your mind and guarding your heart so you can still get up and do what you can with what you have, right where you are, when it seems impossible to keep going. This is what that living hope within you does.

My prayer for you today is that your eyes would be opened to the hope that is already yours. The hope available for you today. The hope which is perfectly shaped for your need today. The hope that is alive and well, never running out, never coming up short, and never out of reach. May you see what is available to you today, may you accept it, and may you always remember the living hope of Jesus will be here for your every tomorrow and you do not have to fear.