Hope is a gift. Have you ever taken hold of such a prize that leads you out of uncertainty into profound assurance? If so, you have possessed hope. When it arrives, despair departs. An old Scottish proverb says, "Were it not for hope, the heart would break." What is your heart's condition?

Mankind is barraged with news about uncertainty in the world. Hearts are paralyzed with fear about the unknown. In an article published by World Trends Research regarding our fast-paced and high-tech society, Van Wishard wrote, "The next three decades loom as the most decisive 30-year period in history." Indeed, we live in tumultuous times.

Uncertainty is so widespread that the latest fad in the greeting-card industry offers encouragement through designer e-cards that pop up on user screens. One reads, "In the face of uncertainty there is nothing wrong with hope." Another card simply shows a street sign: HOPE Avenue with a placard pasted below pointing ONE WAY.

Indeed, there is only one way that leads to such certainty for today and for the future, and this is the message I want to share with you in the pages of this book. In times like these, we need a sure hope.

What is hope? Some equate it as a fanciful wish. But the word explodes with confidence to believe in something greater than ourselves, and it is not found in science, medicine, government, or technology. It is a grand gift that does not drain us of life but infuses us with lasting benefits that spring forth from its seemingly veiled treasures. If you doubt my thesis, consider these truths.

Hope is the breath of nature that surrounds us every day.

Hope is seen in a sprig that shoots up from the crevasse of a sundried rock, proving the water of life within.

Hope is the first ray of sunshine that peeks above the horizon — without fail — every morning with blazing truth, telling us we can make it through.

Hope is dispatched when the moon rises in the dark night, foreshadowing that a new day will dawn.

Hope swells within a sea-weary drifter when he spots a distant speck of a ship that grows larger with each passing wave.

Hope headlines commencement addresses, inspiring graduates as they embark on the new life that lies ahead, as they step out on the pathway strewn with possibilities.

Hope is the cry of a newborn baby once bound, now free.

Have you glimpsed the glow of hope? Strike a match and burn a candle. You will discover that the whisper of its flame brings life to a room, making the candle useful. Is your flame alive and making a difference in the world? You see, hope pierces the darkness.

It is the absolute assurance that there is life after death. For those who have lost loved ones — and we all have — hope brings comfort to our aching souls. It perseveres, persuades, prevails.