True Hope

2 "We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured our His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us." (Romans 5:2-5 NIV)

God tells us in the Book of Romans that we can rejoice when we go through suffering and trial. He isn’t saying we have to be happy when we suffer. Rather, we can have confidence that a just and loving and merciful Father is working everything out for the good of His perfect will (Romans 8:28) , giving us hope in the midst of suffering – and we can rejoice because God uses moments of crisis to reveal where we are truly looking for hope in the midst of chaos.

Have we placed our hope in the circumstances that surround us? Or have we placed our hope on nothing less that Jesus' blood and righteousness; upon the dependability and faithfulness of God to carry out His promises?

Time and time again we pray for circumstances that are difficult (or even tragic), and it seems that God doesn’t answer our prayer. I heard about a pastor praying for his wife and family as they traveled. Instead of returning home safely, they were in a car accident, and his wife and two of his four children were killed. In circumstances like that we feel, in our anguish and grief, that God wasn't listening, didn't care, or wasn't even able to help.

But slowly … very slowly … this pastor began to realize that his perspective was limited, that he'd placed his hope in an answer to prayer that he insisted was best rather than trusting in the character of God to answer the prayer as He saw best (Jer. 29:11).

The pastor realized that he had hung his hopes in the wrong place – until God reminded him that we serve a God of hope, and His hope will not disappoint. That is what we all have to cling to, no matter what circumstances may come our way. If, for a single moment, we think God isn't in control, or is unable to help us, then we've lost our focus; and we're making judgments without knowing all the facts.

Paul told us that - because we have this tremendous hope inside - we shouldn't grieve our losses like other men (1 Thessalonians 4:13). We believe Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe God will resurrect those in Christ who've been taken from us. And we're to encourage one another with these words of hope. After all, if our God is not a God in times of trouble, then he isn't a God at all.

God is working all things – even the hardest of things – for your good, so put your hope where it belongs: in Jesus. Don’t hope in circumstances, but in the God who holds your future in his hands. Remember this prayer found in Romans 15:13, "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."