Anyone who is among the living has hope - even a live dog is better off than a dead lion! (Ecclesiastes 9:4 NIV).

Solomon is so clear in his writing! I have often quoted the verse in our reading today. It’s just another way of saying: It ain’t over until it’s over! Yesterday I challenged you to join me in bringing hope to others. Today I want to challenge you to do more than offer platitudes or empty promises.

So many times hope is merely a reference to pipe dreams, wishful thinking, fantasies, and the like. If we are to truly make a difference in the lives of those God has placed around us we need to understand this word “hope.”  The American Heritage Dictionary defines hope as "a wish or desire supported by some confidence of its fulfillment." Hope from a Biblical perspective is exactly that. It is a belief grounded in faith and based upon the promises of a God who never lies and who always keeps His word. This kind of hope enables people to keep going long after they think they can because it holds promise of better days and brighter horizons. Look at our reading again. Solomon says that if you are still breathing, there is hope for you. It is never too late for you. Life has not passed you by! No matter what you have done or what you are going through God promises hope is available to you because of three unchangeable truths from the Bible.

§  First, God is a God of second chances, forgiveness, and redemption. It is never too late to get right with the Lord because He is always ready to transform whatever you give Him into something usable. The psalmist declares, "He does treat us as our sins deserve… as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us" (Psalm 103: 10,12).

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Secondly, God has the power to make all things new, even you. The Scripture says, "His mercies never fail…They are new every morning . . . The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him" (Lamentations 3:22-23, 25). God offers you a new beginning everyday. Take Him up on His offer.

§  Finally, God never withholds what is good from you, so you can have hope that He will provide what you need and sustain you through trials. David writes, "Those who seek the Lord lack no good thing" (Psalm 34:10). God always has your best interest in mind so you can trust that He will bring about what He has promised and that His plan will ultimately satisfy your every desire.