“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us,” [Romans 5:1-5]
How desperately David clung to the Lord. He knew he was a sinner, but also knew that God is merciful and can help David change his ways. He said that his hope was in God all day long –not just when things got really tough. David knew that He needed God all of the time and likewise knew that God would never disappoint. His hope was in God. And now, how much more hope does the Christian have! We have peace with God and we REJOICE in the hope of the glory of God. One day, all will change, all will be different. That is true at the ultimate triumphal return of the King of kings, but it is also true for today. God’s glory is all around. But it’s hard to see that if we commit ourselves to navel gazing. But if we trust the hope that we have placed in God, then hope will never disappoint us because the reality is this: God has POURED OUT HIS LOVE INTO OUR HEARTS! What a great, merciful and compassionate God! He has given us His Spirit to empower us to hope and live and rejoice in Him. What an awesome God! He really is Father in every way imaginable –He is our Greatest Cheerleader, our Infinite Inspiration, our Comforter, our Life, our Song, our King and our Companion. He IS our Hope, our Only Hope, and our Hope does not disappoint us.
Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine, O, what a Foretaste of Glory Divine! Whatever struggle that seems insurmountable, whatever depression that seeks to rob us of all joy, whatever financial difficulty, whatever pain, loss, grief, enemy… God is Greater than all of it. God’s people cannot falter in their Hope. In an ocean of hopelessness, where everyone everywhere is starving for hope, let us not add to the negativity –let’s stand on the Rock, our Refuge, our Shelter –the One who is Mighty to Save, that the world might see Him, our Hope, living in us.
“This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance (and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe,” [Timothy 4:9-10].
Full of hope,
George