The Power of Hope

Hope is one of the most powerful words I know, yet everyone loses their tentative grasp on hope from time to time. 

As I write this my own hope has been slipping through my fingers. So many situations in my life are beyond my control. In my flesh, I’ve tried to affect change to no avail. How can I write about hope, when I don’t feel it? I asked myself. Then, as I read God’s Word, I realized I lost my grasp on hope because I lost my control—my control. I couldn’t change the situations that held my heart in a vice. As I slowly give each and every one over to the Lord, my hope is returning. How can that be? Because my hope is in Jesus. 

He has the biggest shoulders you could ever imagine. He has control. He knows my situations and He understands why they matter so much to me. And, best of all, He knows the right answer to all my concerns. Even if the outcomes aren’t what I long for, He will be with me. He will get me through. 

In Romans 5, Paul assures us that as Christians, we are made righteous and we have peace with our God because of Jesus. Instead of anxiety and stress, we can rejoice and find hope in the glory of God. We are to rejoice in our troubles and afflictions because they produce endurance, endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope! He tells us, “God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

Now, I don’t know about you, but I feel lighter and my hope is back firmly in my grasp. If you are still struggling with finding your own hope, I am praying you will turn to the faith you have in Christ. In that way, I’m sharing a little of my hope, until you find yours.

Questions for Reflection:

1. Do you give your troubles to God and then snatch them back?

2. Do you believe that God will make things right? What might that look like?

3. If God’s way is different from what you think the answer should be, are you willing to accept God’s plan?