It's Halftime

From Romans chapter 5:
(We) rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

As believers in Christ, we may be facing tough times, but through the fuel of the Holy Spirit and the fellowship of our Christian brothers and sisters that can help us make it through, we can experience God's endurance and His joy.
In Colossians 1, the apostle Paul, referring to the saints of God, says:
27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

The results are in, and the Doritos baby commercial is the winner!   That's the one depicting a baby in a seat, held by bungee cords, sent into the air to retrieve the Doritos from the boy in the treehouse.   Perhaps the commercial that has received the most attention is the Clint Eastwood monologue for Chrysler - I say monologue because Eastwood reportedly doesn't do commercial endorsements. 

It was aired at halftime, and says that its..."It’s halftime in America, too. People are out of work and they’re hurting. And they’re all wondering what they’re going to do to make a comeback. And we’re all scared, because this isn’t a game.

The people of Detroit know a little something about this. They almost lost everything. But we all pulled together, now Motor City is fighting again.

But after those trials, we all rallied around what was right, and acted as one. Because that’s what we do. We find a way through tough times, and if we can’t find a way, then we’ll make one.

This country can’t be knocked out with one punch. We get right back up again and when we do the world is going to hear the roar of our engines. Yeah, it’s halftime America. And, our second half is about to begin."

Some have regarded this ad as an endorsement for the taxpayer-funded bailout of Chrysler and GM.   Eastwood denies that, but I think the critics have a point.   But, another message to us can be about the power of HOPE.  Just as Jesus, even though crucified on a cross, was raised from the dead, we can have hope that He is with us and that He will be exalted.    But, we have to trust Him - we can choose to possess a sense of despair and disappointment, or we can face our future with hope because we serve a risen Lord.

In Independence Hall in Philadelphia, there was a chair used by George Washington during the Constitutional Convention.   James Madison reported that Benjamin Franklin had said, "I have often looked at that behind the president without being able to tell whether it was rising or setting. But now I... know that it is a rising...sun."   For the believer today, we can face tomorrow with the assurance that God has a hope and future for us...a rising sun, if you will.

The resurrection is a tangible reminder that in Christ, we can have hope.    When we encounter disappointment, we look to a living Lord and can be lifted up in our spirits, knowing that He is in control of the future.   He is faithful, and we can face the future with hope because of Jesus.