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Chapter 5: Finding Hope in the Face of My Fears

"God says, 'Do not be afraid - I am with you! I am your God -
let nothing terrify you! I will make you strong and help you.'"
Isaiah 41.10a

Research has shown that among the common fears of death are the fear of dying in pain, the fear of being a burden to others, and the fear of dying alone. At some point many people approaching death also wonder about what lies beyond death for them. Is God only an idea we use to falsely reassure ourselves, or is God the one true hope during and beyond our dying? Our ancestors also struggled with these questions. Here are Scripture passages that express their faith and their hope.

Readings from the Old Testament/Hebrew Scriptures

Many of the psalms express the hope that can be found in God alone.

We put our hope in the LORD; he is our protector and our help.
We are glad because of him; we trust in his holy name.

May your constant love be with us, LORD, as we put our hope in you.
Psalm 33.20-22

The righteous call to the LORD, and he listens;
he rescues them from all their troubles.
The LORD is near to those who are discouraged;
he saves those who have lost all hope.
Psalm 34.17,18

Why am I so sad? Why am I so troubled?
I will put my hope in God, and once again I will praise him,
my savior and my God.
Psalm 43.5

Sovereign LORD, I put my hope in you;
I have trusted in you since I was young.

...

I will always put my hope in you;
I will praise you more and more.
I will tell of your goodness;
all day long I will speak of your salvation,
though it is more than I can understand.
I will go in the strength of the LORD God;
I will proclaim your goodness, Yours alone.
Psalm 71.5,14-16

You are my defender and protector; I put my hope in your promise.

...

Hold me, and I will be safe.
Psalm 119.114,117a

Like the people of ancient Israel, put your hope in the Lord God.

LORD, have mercy on us. We have put our hope
in you. Protect us day by day and save us in times
of trouble.
Isaiah 33.2

Hope returns when I remember this one thing:

The LORD’s unfailing love and mercy still continue,
Fresh as the morning, as sure as the sunrise.
The LORD is all I have, and so in him I put my hope.

The LORD is good to everyone who trusts in him.
Lamentations 3.21-25

Readings from the New Testament

Jesus traveled to Bethany after hearing the news that his friend, Lazarus, had died. Jesus reveals God’s glory by restoring Lazarus to life. Place your hope in Jesus, who is the Resurrection and the Life.

When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus
had been buried four days before. Bethany was
less than two miles from Jerusalem, and many
Judeans had come to see Martha and Mary to
comfort them about their brother’s death.
When Martha heard that Jesus was coming,
she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed in the
house. Martha said to Jesus, “If you had been
here, Lord, my brother would not have died! But
I know that even now God will give you whatever
you ask him for.”
“Your brother will rise to life,” Jesus told her.
“I know,” she replied, “that he will rise to life
on the last day.”
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and
the life. Those who believe in me will live, even
though they die; and those who live and believe
in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
“Yes, Lord!” she answered. “I do believe that
you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who was to
come into the world.”

...

Mary arrived where Jesus was, and as soon as
she saw him, she fell at his feet. “Lord,” she said,
“if you had been here, my brother would not
have died!”
Jesus saw her weeping, and he saw how the
people who were with her were weeping also; his
heart was touched, and he was deeply moved.
“Where have you buried him?” he asked them.
“Come and see, Lord,” they answered.
Jesus wept. “See how much he loved him!” the
people said.
But some of them said, “He gave sight to the
blind man, didn’t he? Could he not have kept
Lazarus from dying?”
Deeply moved once more, Jesus went to the
tomb, which was a cave with a stone placed
at the entrance. “Take the stone away!” Jesus
ordered.
Martha, the dead man’s sister, answered,
“There will be a bad smell, Lord. He has been
buried four days!”
Jesus said to her, “Didn’t I tell you that you
would see God’s glory if you believed?” They
took the stone away. Jesus looked up and said, “I
thank you, Father, that you listen to me. I know
that you always listen to me, but I say this for
the sake of the people here, so that they will
believe that you sent me.” After he had said this,
he called out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come
out!” He came out, his hands and feet wrapped
in grave cloths, and with a cloth around his face.
“Untie him,” Jesus told them, “and let him go.”
John 11.17-27,32-44

When Jesus was put to death on a cross, two criminals were also crucified along with him. One of the criminals turned to Jesus in faith and received Jesus’ promise of entering into Paradise with him.

Two other men, both of them criminals, were
also led out to be put to death with Jesus. When
they came to the place called “The Skull,” they
crucified Jesus there, and the two criminals, one
on his right and the other on his left.

...

One of the criminals hanging there hurled
insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save
yourself and us!”
The other one, however, rebuked him, saying,
“Don’t you fear God? You received the same
sentence he did. Ours, however, is only right,
because we are getting what we deserve for what
we did; but he has done no wrong.” And he said
to Jesus, “Remember me, Jesus, when you come
as King!”
Jesus said to him, “I promise you that today
you will be in Paradise with me.”
Luke 23.32,33,39-43

Jesus offers us hope by means of the peace that only he can give.

Jesus said:

“Peace is what I leave with you; it is my own
peace that I give you. I do not give it as the
world does. Do not be worried and upset; do not
be afraid.”
John 14.27

The apostle Paul speaks of the hope we have in Christ Jesus and in being reconciled to God.

Now that we have been put right with God
through faith, we have peace with God through
our Lord Jesus Christ. He has brought us by faith
into this experience of God’s grace, in which
we now live. And so we boast of the hope we
have of sharing God’s glory! We also boast of our
troubles, because we know that trouble produces
endurance, endurance brings God’s approval, and
his approval creates hope. This hope does not
disappoint us, for God has poured out his love
into our hearts by means of the Holy Spirit, who
is God’s gift to us.

...

God has shown how much he loves us – it was
while we were still sinners that Christ died for
us! By his blood we are now put right with God;
how much more, then, will we be saved by him
from God’s anger! We were God’s enemies, but
he made us his friends through the death of his
Son. Now that we are God’s friends, how much
more will we be saved by Christ’s life! But that is
not all; we rejoice because of what God has done
through our Lord Jesus Christ, who has now
made us God’s friends.
Romans 5.1-5.8-11

We do not live for ourselves only, and we do
not die for ourselves only. If we live, it is for the
Lord that we live, and if we die, it is for the Lord
that we die. So whether we live or die, we belong
to the Lord. For Christ died and rose to life in
order to be the Lord of the living and of the dead.
Romans 14.7-9

In a letter to Titus, Paul’s friend and co-worker in the Gospel, Paul speaks of the hope of eternal life through our Savior, Jesus Christ.

From Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ.
I was chosen and sent to help the
faith of God’s chosen people and to lead them to
the truth taught by our religion, which is based
on the hope for eternal life. God, who does not
lie, promised us this life before the beginning
of time, and at the right time he revealed it in
his message. This was entrusted to me, and I
proclaim it by order of God our Savior.
Titus 1.1-3

When the kindness and love of God our Savior
was revealed, he saved us. It was not because
of any good deeds that we ourselves had done,
but because of his own mercy that he saved us,
through the Holy Spirit, who gives us new birth
and new life by washing us. God poured out
the Holy Spirit abundantly on us through Jesus
Christ our Savior, so that by his grace we might
be put right with God and come into possession
of the eternal life we hope for. This is a true saying.
Titus 3.4-8a

The author of 1 Peter speaks of the “living hope” and new life we have because God raised Jesus from death.

Let us give thanks to the God and Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ! Because of his great mercy
he gave us new life by raising Jesus Christ from
death. This fills us with a living hope, and so we
look forward to possessing the rich blessings
that God keeps for his people. He keeps them for
you in heaven, where they cannot decay or spoil
or fade away. They are for you, who through faith
are kept safe by God’s power for the salvation
which is ready to be revealed at the end of time.
Be glad about this, even though it may now be
necessary for you to be sad for a while because
of the many kinds of trials you suffer.

...

So you rejoice with a great and glorious joy which
words cannot express, because you are receiving
the salvation of your souls, which is the purpose
of your faith in him.
1 Peter 1.3-6,8b,9

Claim the hope that comes from God.

May God, the source of hope, fill you with all
joy and peace by means of your faith in him,
so that your hope will continue to grow by the
power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15.13

Thoughts for Reflection

1. In what or in whom do I place my hope?
2. What is it that I hope for?
3. What could I do or think that would increase my hope?
4. Am I able to place my hope in a power greater than myself?

Prayer

Good and Gracious God, you have been the source of hope for all generations. Before the mountains and the seas were established, you were there. After all have fallen away, you will remain.

Deepen my trust in your eternal care for me and those I love. Abide with me in my living, in my dying, and in my life to come. Give me the comfort of knowing I am yours now and forevermore. Amen.

A Blessing for You

May the LORD bless you and take care of you;
May the LORD be kind and gracious to you;
May the LORD look on you with favor and give you peace.
Numbers 6.24-26