The Hunt for Happiness and Hope…

Taken from the intimation sheet: 20 April 2014

As a young boy, I always went to church on Easter Sunday with a smile on my face. I knew there was a very good chance that the minister would incorporate an Easter Egg Hunt into his children’s talk and no matter how many chocolate eggs a boy has, there’s always room for one more. I was confident that armed with my intimate knowledge of the church building, my youthful energy, and my insatiable love for chocolate, if there was an egg to be found – I’d track it down. It was a great feeling when I found the treasure I’d been hunting for. Needless to say, I invariably left church on a Sunday afternoon with an even broader smile!

As we grow older we learn to be more subtle in our great chase for satisfaction, but we still spend our days hunting. We hunt for love, we hunt for meaning, we hunt for significance, we hunt for happiness and we hunt for hope.

Many people, indeed tragically most people, spend their days searching in all the wrong places, and some give up altogether. But the Bible assures us that all of these things and more are available, waiting for us to discover them. God created us with physical hunger and thirst, because food and water are there to be found. The same is true with our hunger for real happiness and lasting hope. Both of these precious treasures belong to those who give their lives to Jesus.

On the first Easter, Jesus died in our place, to take the punishment for our sins upon himself. Death was powerless to keep its grip on him, and on the third day he rose to life again. All who turn from their sins and place their trust in him are forgiven by God, and welcomed into his family forever. He doesn’t give us what we deserve- an empty, godless life and hell when we die. Indeed he gives them what we don’t deserve, a loving relationship with Him, an exciting adventure with God in this life, and a place in heaven with him when we die. Death will be powerless to keep its hold on us.

Where are you hunting for happiness and hope this Easter? If it’s in the Lord Jesus, then rejoice, he has risen, he has conquered death, he has proved himself faithful to his people and to his promises.

Have a joy-filled Easter, and make sure you leave the church with a smile on your face!

Yours in His service,

Ross