The View from Hope

“But I know my living Redeemer, and He will stand on the dust at last.  Even after my skin has been destroyed, yet I will see God in my flesh.” (John 19:25-26)

            Suffering, sorrow, loss and pain – both physical and emotional – afflicted Job, and yet in this verse above his faith and hope rise decisively to the surface to declare their resolve.  Job knows the Lord, his Redeemer, and he knows that his Redeemer lives and will one day stand on the earth.  He is convinced that his eyes will see his Redeemer even after the destruction of his own body.  He is talking about the resurrection of the body.

            Interesting, isn’t it, that Job is talking about faith and hope, but he is expressing it in terms of “knowing.”  This is the way of faith.  A seed germinates, and as the tiny plant begins to send its roots into the earth it simultaneously sprouts and begins its climb toward the sun.  In a similar way, faith and hope deepen our walk with God while at the same time grow stronger and stronger until it takes us eventually into the arena of certainty.  We begin in faith and hope.  We move continually toward knowing.

            A man named John looked up one day and said, “Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”  Looks like Job was right.  Our living Redeemer came and stood on the earth, just as Job said He would.  Faith became sight.  And one day, we also will see Him as He is, as our faith becomes sight.

Thank You, Father, for the faith and hope that will one day be sight.  Amen.