Please welcome my next guest blogger, Joseph Lalonde. He has joined me this month and has graciously written a post on the topic of Hope, I know you'll enjoy his take. You can find more information about Joseph by following the links at the bottom of the page.

Hope – Of Things To Come

By Joseph Lalonde

One of the greatest promises of the Bible is that of things to come. Eternity with our savior. No more pain. No more suffering. The hope of things to come is overwhelming at times.

Hope of things to come can motivate us to continue down the good path. To stay on the straight and narrow. Even when there is no end in sight.

And that is the great paradox of hope to me, at least. That we have to continue to hope until we reach the end. How about you? Do you ever feel that way?

When I begin to lose this hope of things to come, I begin to look at the fathers of our faith. Those that walked and talked with Jesus.

Knowing there were men and women who walked with Jesus. Seen him in the flesh. Knew him face to face.

They faced the same issues we faced with our doubts. They had a hard time believing that He had risen until they seen the wounds.

But many of them faced worse situations than we have. At least in the USA.

The disciples faced persecutions far greater than we do. They faced death and many met with crucifixion and other forms of cruel death.

Yet they had hope. They knew what was to come. Through all of the pain and suffering. They knew their reward was on the other side of eternity.

When I look at their troubles and the troubles in my life, I begin to get a new appreciation and hope for the life I have and the life to come.

The money woes, the relationship issues, the time constraints. They all pale in comparison to the trials and tribulations the great men of the Bible faced.

Why? Because of the hope given to them by Jesus Christ. Once they saw the risen Christ they KNEW what they had. They gave their lives to spread the message.

Let their hope become your hope. Let their faith seep into yours. Let their passion become your passion.

Then you will see their hope in your hope.

Question: How do you keep the hope of things to come clear in your mind? Please share your thoughts in the comment section.

 Joseph Lalonde is a youth leader at Oak Crest Church of God, he also writes a blog www.jmlalonde.com where he shares leadership tools and encourages you to become a better leader. Connect with him on Twitter or at his blog.