Today is not the worst nor best day of your life.

Years ago a study was done with rats. While others watched, one rat was put into a bowl of water with no escape. The rat latest mere seconds before giving up and being rescued.

A second was put in the water. It lasted minutes before needing help. The next lasted twice as long as the previous one.

The difference? Hope. The first one didn’t have any. The others, however, saw the first rat being rescued. All they had to do was to hold on until being rescued. The power of hope is huge.

Paul writes that our faith rests on the hope of eternal life. The Father saved us (done deal) and declared us free, not innocent, of all crimes (justified), which forms the basis of our hope.

Someone paid our fine, did our prison time, and sat in our electric chair. We are truly guilty, but Jesus took what we deserved and gave us something we didn’t deserve, hope.

It’s a hope that life change is possible this side of heaven, and ultimately on the other side, despite our failures that make us want to quit. We will, though, be rescued!

Struggle and failure are not the end, becoming like Jesus is. And just like the experimenter did the rats, our Father will rescue us…someday, which could be today.

Hope should lead to a life of thankfulness, not regret; gratitude, not groveling. We are commanded to stay thankful for not only for what Jesus did, but will do – rescue us from this corrupted world, a hope of eternal life.

Keep swimming! Stay focused on your eternal hope, Jesus will rescue you. It might not be today, but stay thankful. It will happen. Amen and amen!