The recent events in Minneapolis have generated much controversy and tension. Having lived in the Minneapolis area for 20 years, I’m familiar with all the locations where the events have occurred and I still have many family and friends in the area. I won’t offer an opinion on what has transpired in Minneapolis recently, just an observation that when we see so many people with such differing views on what is happening, it can be easy to lose “hope” in this world.

Fortunately, for those of us who have made the decision to accept Jesus as our Savior, our “hope” is in Jesus. This isn’t the type of “hope” we have when we say “I hope you have fun!” Instead, the “hope” the Bible describes in Hebrews 11:1 is a confident assurance about our future.

As Christians, we can be confident knowing that God is in control, He knows everything, including the future, and we can trust that God’s promises are true. However, when world events or personal hardships happen, it can be easy to lose “hope.” When life gets us down, having “hope” isn’t something that comes naturally to most of us.

When we don’t “feel” like having hope, we can “Dare to Hope” as Sanctus Reals sings about in their song. The chorus of “Dare to Hope” is:

Hope can't be shaken by fear
Can't be taken by force
Lifts a soul from despair
And says it′s worth fighting for
Our God still carries the way
Of this broken world
So though my sorrow is grave
I′ll be there to hope, hope
Dare to hope
Dare to hope

No matter what you are facing in life, God can give you the hope you need to carry on.