We crave truth and hope, do we not? The soul longs for justice, for unity, for prosperity, for peace. And how our spirits soar at the promise of strong leadership to guide us to greatness.

You could read it on the faces in Chicago and around the country as they celebrated Barack Obama’s victory. Optimism. Euphoria. Confidence. Hope. Yes we can. Tears of joy flowed. On every network, analysts spoke of the transformative nature of this moment in American, even global, history. Hope-filled congratulations and praise poured in from around the world.

For many, many people, expectations of what the coming years will bring are floating in the stratosphere. In his victory speech, the new president-elect mused about the possibility of his daughters living a hundred years and seeing a better world. “What change will they see? What progress will we have made?” he asked. “This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time … to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth, that, out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope.”

Oh, how we need hope. In a sick and suffering world, how we need hope.

Obama’s campaign effectively turned this election into a referendum on hope. And his victory, while one cannot discount the matchless effectiveness of his campaign, can fairly be described as a resounding statement of just how Americans yearn for something in which to invest hope.

Now, it must be said: As deep and sincere and justified as that yearning is, time is about to treat it very unkindly.

We can expect events swiftly to expose the fact that no mortal man—even one assuming the highest office in the world’s most powerful country—could ever fulfill the hope that people have invested in this individual.

This past weekend, at a rally in Harlem, a state representative stumping for Mr. Obama led an enthusiastic crowd in this call-and-response:

“Who is going to lead us out of poverty?” “Barack Obama!”

“Who is going to save the United States of America?” “Barack Obama!”

“Who is going to save the entire world?” “Barack Obama!”

Mr. Obama made mention in his victory speech of accepting the win “with a measure of humility.” But it was a token mention. The fact is that from the beginning, his campaign has clothed itself in grandiosity. The more eloquent the rhetoric and far-reaching the promises, the more that his most fervent supporters have allowed themselves to hope. All nuclear material worldwide—safeguarded within four years. All nuclear weapons development—stopped. Afghanistan—solved. Al Qaeda—crushed. Darfur genocide—over. The Middle East peace process—brought to a safe, secure conclusion. World poverty—cut in half. Inner cities—revitalized. Immigration law—fixed. Health care—guaranteed for every American. Social Security—saved. Federal waste—eliminated. Taxes—cut for 95 percent of Americans. The economy—completely transformed. Carbon emissions—slashed. Energy crisis—solved. It seems no problem is too great for this man to issue a bold promise to solve it.

Perhaps it should come as no surprise, then, to hear a crowd that apparently believes Mr. Obama can save both the country and the world. Or to realize that many people believe that government can expand while simultaneously cutting taxes for 95 percent of Americans—even though 32 percent of Americans don’t even pay taxes. Or to hear a supporter claim how excited she is that, once this man is president, “I won’t have to worry about putting gas in my car—I won’t have to worry about paying my mortgage.” Oh, how all those promises inspire hope.

But soon, inevitably, reality will set in. Global crises will still occur. The financial meltdown will not go away—it will grow worse under the “fixes” that put the country deeper in debt. Cars will still need gas, and mortgages will still need to be paid. As we wrote recently, America’s next president will be in over his head.

When these rains of adversity descend, and the floods and winds beat vehemently against people’s hope, that hope will fall—because it is founded on sand.

As the Prophet Jeremiah once wrote, “Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man.” Yes, cursed. So says God.

Many people are looking to the new president-elect as a kind of messiah. Their credulity shows just how great the need for a true messiah is! People do recognize many of the pressing problems and crushing concerns of our age. They can see that the present government does not have the answers.

But what they do not yet see—as has become plain in this election—is that by seeking those answers simply in another political candidate, they are misplacing their hope.

This nation has yet to realize that there is no hope in man.

Soon it will be this new government trying desperately to keep the economy from tanking, grappling with international security concerns that exceed the military’s capabilities, being mistreated by foreign governments, sinking deeper into debt and so on. It will be this government letting the people down.

There is a book you really ought to read. It’s called The United States and Britain in Prophecy, and it was written by the late Herbert W. Armstrong. We’ll send you a copy for free, or you can read it online here. (It’s a big book, so I’d recommend getting a copy you can sit down with and mark up.) It explains the spectacular history of these two nations in a stirring way, showing their earliest roots and explaining the true cause of their meteoric rise to global prominence. It also shows, with detailed biblical proof, exactly why the problems besieging these countries are increasingly overtaking the blessings. And it gives a frank picture, as spelled out in biblical prophecy, of how we can expect these curses to intensify in the time just ahead.

As much as you may have bought into or want to buy into the vision of this latest election being a turning point toward a safer and more prosperous future for America, you need to know the sure reality that God has foretold for this nation and that is prophesied to unfold before us.

But that isn’t the end of the story. For those curses—trying though they will be—will finally teach us the lesson we are so slow to learn: that God alone can be trusted, and it is in God alone that we should hope.

He supplies that hope if we look to Him! Oh, how we need that hope in our sick and suffering world. It exists, and it is a sure hope! It is the hope of Christ’s return—when He brings to this Earth the justice, unity, prosperity and peace we all long for.

You can read about it in Gerald Flurry’s booklet The Epistles of Peter—A Living Hope. Set your heart on and believe in the sure promise of this truly strong, noble and righteous leadership that will guide us to greatness! It will, truly, make your spirit soar.