A story is told about how at a New York City university concert, a distinguished concert pianist suddenly became ill and could not continue. There was an old music teacher at the college nicknamed Herman who rose from the audience and walked on stage. Herman sat down at the piano and with great mastery completed the performance.
At a party after the concert a faculty member asked Herman how he was able to play the difficult pieces from memory with such great skill.
Herman said: “In 1939, when I was a budding young concert pianist, I was arrested and placed in a Nazi concentration camp. Putting it mildly, the future looked bleak. But I knew that in order to keep the flicker of hope alive that I might someday play again, I needed to practice every day.
“I drew a keyboard on my bed board and began by fingering a piece from my repertoire late one night. The next night I added a second piece and soon I was running through my entire repertoire. I did this every night for five years. It so happens that the piece I played tonight at the concert hall was part of that repertoire. That constant practice is what kept my hope alive. Every day I renewed my hope that I would one day be able to play my music again on a real piano, and in freedom.”
This is a remarkable story and shows what hope can do for us. The Bible tells us that the hope we have is sure and secure so it’s something we can always rely on. When Jesus rose from the dead He was giving hope to all who will follow Him and it’s a hope that will never disappoint.
We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure – Hebrews 6 verse 19.
– Philip
