"For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations." Psalm 100:5 NIV

Have you ever seen someone give Christianity a bad name? A quick look over our shoulder at Church History tells us that they are in good company. Throughout the centuries there have been countless atrocities committed in the name of Jesus. The Crusades and the Inquisition are perhaps the most famous, but acts of greed, manipulation, and cruelty continue to go on by those who claim the name of Christ even today.

It's no wonder that some want nothing to do with the church or Christianity. But here's the distinguishing factor: Authentic Christianity is not a religion; it's a relationship with Jesus Christ. In John 14:6 he tells us plainly: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

Genuine Christians are not those who attend church every Sunday, but those who have accepted Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. This relationship changes everything. II Cor. 5:17 states: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" True followers will repent of their errors and will be making obvious strides to become more like Christ in their attitudes and behaviors.

We often get confused between God himself, and his followers (or those who claim to be). Even genuine Christ Followers can be guilty of terrible failures. But let's remember that their failures do not reflect the nature of God, only the state of humanity. People fail--but God never fails!

"I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13 NIV

When we struggle against the odds and the darkness seems to be pressing in, we must turn to the source of all hope: our God and Savior. We are so prone to look to our own abilities, material resources, or other people to give us hope. But no one can truly fill our lives with hope except the very source of it. In everything else, there is the possibility of disappointment.

Life is often unfair, difficult, and full of heartache. It's easy to be despondent, anxious, and worried. But Paul makes it clear that when we turn to God and invite him to walk near to us, when we fully place our trust in him, something changes. There's a definitive connection between possessing hope, and possessing joy and peace. When we allow God to be our source of hope, these will spontaneously result.

Paul goes on to say, "Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit." Not just a little hope--but overflow with hope! Not just hope--but confident hope! Hope that is powered by the Holy Spirit!

If you are struggling to cope with life's difficulties, turn to The Source of Hope. Ask him to flood the dark places of your heart with the bright light of hope, joy, and peace. Trust in him to guide your steps and order your life for his glory. Even in loss and hardship, we can still know hope if we remain rooted in The Source.

"No one whose hope is in you, Lord, will ever be put to shame." Psalm 62:5 NIV

So often we are disappointed in life because we are failing to put our hope in the right place. We hope in the economy improving and assuring our job security. We hope in our savings account to give us financial security. We hope in friends and family to help us out in hard times. We hope in our spouses to meet our emotional needs. We hope in... you get the point.

When we place our hope in the Lord, we won't be ashamed. But what does it mean to hope in the Lord? We pray, don't we? We let him know what's happening in our lives and ask for his involvement. Isn't that hoping in the Lord?

As I grow in my relationship of trust with the Lord, I realize that it isn't the same thing at all. I can say all kinds of prayers, but continue to hope in all the wrong places. I can even be confident that God will answer my prayers, and still not have it quite right.

When I truly hope in the Lord, not only am I praying with expectation that God has heard and will answer my prayer, I'm also trusting that the outcome is what he willed. And that what he willed is for the best. Although I may still feel disappointment, it's balanced with the faith that my Provider has a purpose and plan in the situation. If I put my hope in the Lord, then I can also trust him to help me deal with the outcome.