Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop. Patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.

James 5:7-8

What makes the difference between hope and anxiety in a life? What allows a person to live with an assurance about tomorrow even while today is falling apart, while another person falls apart thinking about tomorrow even though they have everything they need today?

Both hope and anxiety are future oriented, but oriented in different ways. Anxiety fears the future, whether because the future is uncertain or because it has a foreboding sense that the future is destined to be bad. Hope, on the other hand, trusts that the future is in God’s gracious hands and therefore perseveres through the mightiest of trials knowing that God will redeem these days for his glory and our good.

Sometimes, we practice neither hope nor anxiety, but distraction. We isolate ourselves from anything that might suggest that the future is somehow in jeopardy. Oh, the world is scary, alright. We might for a moment be startled by the images of war or famine that terrorizes some far off land. We might even wonder if the world is somehow coming undone at the seams. We might even have longings for justice and peace, but by the commercial break our attention is redirected to the great American pursuit – shopping. With our comfortable cars and our better homes and gardens, we insulate ourselves against the signs of the time, that something or someone is coming nearer every day.

---

Lord Jesus Christ, help us to live in hope. Let us not live in fear of the future but in confidence of your return. At your second advent, all will be set right. Until then, keep us from those trivilities that steal our attention away from you. Keep our souls awake to your presence today and always. Amen.

---