Pastor Mark Lee

By Pastor Mark Lee

In many ways, this time of year is all about hope.  Whether you are preparing to graduate, planning a wedding, or simply anticipating a vacation, this month is full of promise.  Because of this, June has the ability to turn everybody into school kids anxiously awaiting the start of summer.  After all, who doesn’t like to have something to look forward to?

It is common for people to believe that something better is on the horizon.  In fact, it can actually be beneficial.  Research indicates that hopeful individuals experience higher levels of achievement.  In scientific studies, athletes, college students, and test takers all performed better when they were optimistic about the future.

The problem, however, is that it is not always easy to be optimistic.  We expect our vacations to bring us freedom, our graduations to bring us wealth, and our weddings to bring us companionship. But what happens when our vacations are over, our job hunts are unsuccessful, and we are fighting with our spouses?

As humans, we have a tendency to believe that specific people, events, or accomplishments will fix our problems.  We put our hope in these things, expecting that they will improve our lives.  But, this doesn’t always happen.  And, when it does, the results are often temporary.  Those things that once brought us hope can often leave us feeling hopeless.

For a guaranteed and permanent solution, we have to look beyond this world. In Psalms 25:3, David wrote, “No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame.”  Unlike the people and things in our lives, God is all-powerful and ever-present.  If we place our hope in Him, we will never be disappointed.

VantagePoint Church meets at Roosevelt High School on Sundays at 9:30 and 11:00 a.m.