Hope in Uncertain Times

by Lynn H. Pryor

“March has been a long year!”

Did it feel that way to you, too? We had a routine to our lives. It may not have been perfect; it may have even been hectic at times—but it was our routine. We went to work, we drove our kids to school, then piano, then soccer, we went to church, we had Friday night dinners with friends, we even went shopping.

Then COVID-19 arrived. A story about a virus in China soon became more than a story about someone else far away. It came to our shores. It came to our cities. And now the foundation of our daily lives—that routine we unconsciously relied upon—was gone.

But more than just the loss of a regular schedule, our foundation was shaken in other ways. Work hours were reduced—or totally gone. Too many of us could not rely on a steady income. That mindless trip to the store because you need a loaf of bread became a frantic search to find a store that had any bread. Your hair is starting to look shaggy, but what can you do?

The foundation of our whole economy is shaken. The things we just assumed would be there at the beginning of March were gone by the end of March. So, yes, March felt like one long year.

As the COVID-19 virus has spread, so have fear and uncertainty.

• What if I get the virus?
• What if I have the virus but don’t know it?
• What’s going to happen with my job? How will I get by?
• What if the economy completely fails?

We’ve always lived in a broken world. Sin made sure of that, but the COVID-19 pandemic is now a constant in-your-face reminder of just how broken it is.

But one thing has not changed: we can still have hope. The same foundation for hope available to us in February is still available today. The only sure and certain hope we can have is the hope we place in Jesus Christ.

The apostle Peter knew this from firsthand experience. Because of his reliance on Christ, the impetuous Peter we see in the Gospels became the confident, hopeful follower of Christ who wrote 1 Peter. When he wrote this short letter, he was writing to believers who needed to be reminded of where they should place their hope. They didn’t face a pandemic, but they faced hardship and persecution that could easily lead some to doubt and uncertainty. But hope in Christ was there for them in the first century—and it is available to us today.

A look at the message of hope in 1 Peter is certainly needed today—and Bible Studies for Life is doing just that. In this six-session group Bible study, we’re going to see…

… only hope in Christ is sure and certain.

… our hope in Christ changes how we view the world and live in it.

… our hope in Christ points others to Him.

… we can endure suffering because of our hope in Christ.

… suffering for Christ can deepen our walk with Him.

… what we hope for in Christ will one day be fully attained.

Our world is broken. Sin and COVID-19 have made sure of that. But fear, anxiety, and uncertainty don’t need to rule our lives. If we have Christ, we have a hope that’s stronger than any virus.