These three words - hope, his, and calling - proclaim a wonderful Christian truth. "Hope" means that for us who believe, the future is always getting brighter. Troubles are temporary but blessings are eternal. "His" means that God has redeemed us and we belong to him. When you trusted in Christ, God put his seal on you, and marked you eternally as his child. "Calling" completes the picture of this biblical phrase and means that God calls us each individually. We have hope because God calls us intimately and personally, and assures us that we are his. It is our job to stop and listen to his voice. This past week, in Streams in the Desert, a devotional written by George Matheson, he explained the importance of peace in our lives so that we can hear God. Matheson pointed out how Isaac, for a period of his life, was embroiled in petty quarrels with the Canaanite people over water rights. Then God led him to Beersheba, away from the conflicts, and there, on the same night, God spoke to him (Genesis 26:24). It is hard to hear God's voice amid the noise of this world. So today I hope you will slow down and listen to God call your name and write upon your heart his hopes for you. – Pastor David Packer
