"Hope"

People need hope! I am not speaking of the hope that wishes: "I hope everything goes well!" The hope I am speaking of is a God-given hope. A hope of assurance. A hope that not only desires but expects God to do as God said He would. Any other type of hope will disappoint.

Our hope, if one is in Christ Jesus, is tied to two elements: (1) God is faithful! (2) God is able! Listen to His word carefully: "No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it." (I Cor. 10:13)

We want to believe that God is faithful. We say the words but somehow, we really don't trust Him to do as He says. When we encounter difficulties, the question arises in our hearts, "Will He be faithful to me?" which leads us to doubts and fear arise in our hearts.

To some, the struggles in life seem like mountains. Fears, anxieties and sense of hopelessness settle into the heart. We find ourselves reaching, looking for security in our time of need because we don't know or trust our heavenly Father. For us to have hope in God is to have a confident expectation! How can one be sure He will aid in the midst of difficulties? Why don't we start by looking at the cross, the death of Jesus on our behalf? Isn't that the direction God is trying to move our hearts? Take some time and read Rom. 8:31-34 and there you will see the confidence that God is for us! And if He is for us, will He make sure we have every thing we need to make it to the end, not matter what we encounter? Hope, real genuine hope, has God at the center because He is faithful and is able to do as He says. We expect little because our faith does not have God at the center many times.

When does hope disappear? When God is not the center of our faith. We look and listen to everyone else while God sits the sideline. Then we wonder why we fail so miserably. God has the resources (He is able) and will do exactly what He says He will do for our well-being (God is faithful). We tend to focus on us and our problems, our defeats and God gets pushed into the background. The result: hope is lost because faith is lost (Heb. 11:1)! (Some head to the nearest bookstore to find a book for hope.) It's easy to speak of God, talk of His love and mercy but it's another thing to place our hope in Him. Our hope must be based on His ability and His faithfulness in every circumstance. That does not eliminate our suffering and pain but brings God's faithfulness and ability in the midst of our suffering. And hope...it does not disappoint (Rom. 5:5)