Realizing that faith is the foundation of hope, God's people are encouraged to gird the loins of their hope fully on Jesus Christ (I Peter 1:13) The word for hope in Psalm 71:5 is transliterated tikva in Hebrew is translated cord, rope, or lifeline. When Rahab rescued the spies, she lowered a scarlet cord to identify Rahab's family's dwelling for rescue when the city of Jericho would be besieged and destroyed. Rahab considered that red cord a symbol of her faith and hope that she and her family would be rescued from the impending destruction of Jericho. Her faith, probably tested multiple times, was not wasted and she was rewarded by being included in the lineage of Jesus Christ. Each of the consecutive annual Holy Days focuses upon Christ and His work on behalf of the saints. Like our forbear Rahab, we have a similar cord of rescue and hope, a lifeline, metaphorically our spiritual umbilical cord from which we receive spiritual nourishment from Jesus Christ. As long as we do not break the bond (severing our spiritual umbilical cord) Jesus will rescue and save us. We are the only ones who can break this precious connection. Let us cling to that hope in our faith in Jesus Christ, especially in the midst of the turbulent dangers assailing the fabric of our culture.