There are some things we hope for which are completely out of our control. Whether or not what we hope for happens, from our perspective, seems like nothing more than random chance.

• We might hope in this way that there is no traffic for an upcoming commute.
• We might hope in this way that a job opportunity in a new city opens up for us.
• We might hope in this way for a white Christmas.

Then there are things we hope for which we still cannot count on, but we have reason to suspect that they might come to pass.

• We might hope in this way that we get that gift that we hinted about for our birthday.
• We might hope in this way that it doesn’t rain, knowing that the forecast indicates only a ten percent chance it will.
• We might hope in this way that the roast finishes in time for dinner, knowing that the recipe puts it being done within a reasonable timeframe.

Then there are things we hope for which we can know will happen. This hope, however, is not like any hope we find in anything in this word. It is a hope that defies any chance of it not coming to pass. It is a hope of certainty. A hope of confident expectation. It is a hope found only in the gospel.

We need to understand these different ways people hope because this week, we need to help our kids understand that the Bible uses this third hope to speak of Christ’s return one day to make all things new.

Our hope is not like the first—even though it is out of our control. But Christ’s return is not “random chance,” it has been promised by a sovereign God who cannot lie.

Neither is our hope like the second—highly probable, but still not absolute. Again, our hope in Christ is fixed on His character and revealed will.

This week, be sure that your kids understand this biblical definition of hope. Let God use you to give them the joy and peace that comes from such hope.

They do not need to worry about God rejecting them if they have trusted in Christ. They can hope in God’s eternal love and acceptance.

They do not need to worry about Jesus not returning and making all things new. They can hope in God’s decree that this will come to pass.

Give your kids hope from the gospel this week, but be sure to give them the right kind of hope.

Christians have a duty to protect the power of eternal hope. The sweet-by-and-by is not a psychological pacifier as the culture preaches; it is a guarantee that God has sworn by Himself to fulfill.”  — K. A. Ellis

K. A. Ellis, “Protect the Power of Eternal Hope,” The Witness, June 29, 2016, thewitnessbcc.com/protect-power-eternal-hope.

Every week, members of The Gospel Project for Kids team offer guidance to help you as you prepare to teach every session to preschoolers and kids.

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