May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13. A thrill of hope; the weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn. ~~ O Holy Night. Well thats the cool thing about Hope. Just as total darkness cant hold back the light of a tiny flame, so does even the smallest increment of Hope provide joy and purpose. Here are a few scriptures Ive been mulling over on the subject: Notice the parallel between things hoped for and things not seen. Talk about a paradox; try applying assurance to something your five senses cant detect. Its a challenge. The plus side is that hope, through Christ, is available to you no matter what you see, hear, or feel. Its above your circumstances. We also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance [brings about]proven character; and proven character [brings about] hope; and hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us (Romans 5:3-5).Do you ever hear people say, I dont want to get my hopes up because theyre afraid of being disappointed? What would you make of Pauls claim that hope does not disappoint? Might the disconnect have something to do with what were hoping for or expecting? Hope is not what youd expect; it is what you would never dream. It is a wild, improbable tale with a pinch-me-Im-dreaming ending… Hope is not a granted wish or a favor performed; no, it is far greater than that. It is a zany, unpredictable dependence on a God who loves to surprise us out of our socks and be there in the flesh to see our reaction.[1] Love… hopes all things…but now abide faith, hope, and love; but the greatest of these is love (1 Corinthians 13:7,13). Ever wonder why faith, hope, and love are the greatest virtues, and apparently in that order? Maybe hope isnt actually something we do, but something we receive, like grace. If its true that without faith it is impossible for us to please Him (Hebrews 11:6), perhaps its conversely true that without Hope it would be impossible for Him to please us. The same verse says that God is a rewarder of those who seek Him. Is hope that reward? I mean, if faith is what we give to God, and hope is what He gives to us, then we have the dynamic of a relationship. With that in place, we can love. So love is built on hope, which is built on faith.For hope to exist, unfortunately it looks like there has to be hopelessness first. A perfect world wouldnt have any need of hope. Deliverance arrives undeservedly and perhaps unexpectedly, just as in the unlikely way God came to earth to provide a once-and-for-all substitute for the sins of all men on the first Christmas. Thats why things can look bleak, but thats where hope lives.The good news is: you simply cant hope big enough, which goes back to the idea of our minds and senses being inadequate to judge Gods design and methods, and hope being more a function of Gods involvement than our desires. I readily acknowledge I could not have conceived of the plan of salvation or the virgin birth. I couldnt have imagined the plan for the walls of Jericho to crumble, for hungry lions to turn into Daniels pet kittens, or the Red Sea to part and offer up dry land. So neither do I know how my problems will be solved, or what miracles Ill be blessed to see this Christmas. Isaiah 9:6-7 concerns the hope of the prophecy being fulfilled that brought us a Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, and Prince of Peace. The last sentence of verse seven says its the zeal of the Lord that will accomplish this. God is excited! Hes zealous (enthusiastic, passionate, obsessive even) to bring us this hope! Romans 15:13 is my Christmas prayer: May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Why is there hope? Because Jesus was born. O holy night. What a thrill. God is at work. Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1).
Posted on: Wed, 17 Dec 2014 13:49:12 +0000
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