May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. – Romans 15:13
————————
It is easy to lose hope when we lose a loved one, lose a job, lose a battle, lose control, lose our health or lose our way, but there is a sure and steadfast hope that is ours as a gift of grace that is always there when we need it most. This hope isn’t some self-created positive attitude that things will turn out the way we envision in our heads; it is a Spirit-produced confidence in the faithfulness of God to keep His promises that is settled in our hearts. He promised that Jesus would come, and He did. He promises that Jesus will come again, and He will. As we reflect on what God has already done, we are reassured of what He is yet to do even as we wait in-between… The beginning and the new beginning. The already and the not yet. The first coming and the second coming. The earthly and the heavenly. The suffering and the pleasure. The seeing through-a-glass and the seeing face-to-face. The temporary and the eternal. Even as we await our entrance into heaven then and there, we can experience our heavenly citizenship here and now. Its peace. Its joy. Its King. How? By believing. Believing that hope in Jesus is never a lost hope. Believing in the promises of the God of hope. Believing that the Holy Spirit will cause us to abound in hope. Yes, this world is full of hurts and heartaches, but no matter what you face today, you can live in celebration of what Jesus has already accomplished for you and in anticipation of the day He will return to heal your hurting heart fully and forever. He has been with you all along. He is with you even now. He will be with you always. Your hope isn’t in your ability to figure out how to make it work out; your hope is confidence that He already has, and though things aren’t yet perfect, the day is coming when they will be.
