Hope! It is an intrinsic part of human existence!

• Every farmer hopes that it will rain and he will have a good yield
• Every businessman purchases goods hoping that he can sell it and make profits
• Every student hopes to do well on the exams.
• Every athletic team takes the field hoping to win the game.
• Even the homeless live on hope that someone will give them something for survival
• And every person survives on a hope that tomorrow will be better than today.

Hope is so important that the author of Proverbs warns us: “Where there is no hope the people perish.” Proverbs 29:18
Ray Johnston, a pastor in Sacramento California, echoed this thought when he wrote: “When spouses lose hope, they give up on their marriage. Parents give up on their teens. Leaders give up on their people. Healthy emotions like contentment and peace are replaced with the toxic emotions of confusion, shame, worry, and disappointment. In short, it’s impossible to be spiritually, psychologically, emotionally, or relationally healthy when we’re gripped by discouragement.”

While people and the things of this world may let us down and shatter our hope our God does not. That is why the author of Hebrews wrote: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for; the conviction of things not seen.” Heb. 11:1. As people of faith we live with the promises that God gives to His people through His Son, Jesus. He gives us a future and a hope that will not be taken away.

It is that hope that we, at Lutheran Family Service, want to share with those whom we serve. As a Christian organization, we share the hope that we have in Jesus. We believe that He can take away the discouragement that sin puts within us and fill us with his love and forgiveness giving us a hopeful future.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Romans 15:13