In the darkest moment of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, Sam, the Hobbit, looks up into the poisonous skies of Mordor, and receives an unexpected comfort:

There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty forever beyond its reach.

For the first time in days, Sam curled up into a deep untroubled sleep. He once again had the strength to endure.

Possible Preaching Angle:

This story of little Sam being heartened by the star is so poignant because it resonates with the Christian experience. Every Christian knows what it is like to want to give up and just surrender if that will quiet the world’s constant battering. The early Christians who read the book of Hebrews knew that feeling well. However, the author of Hebrews told them, “So do not throw away your confidence; it holds a great reward” (Heb. 10:35).

Source:

Blog post, “Hope Returned to Him,” Bible Mesh (8-10-20)