HOPE

 Hope.

 What does hope look like?  Well, according to Webster's Dictionary hope is to desire with expectation; to expect with confidence.  Trust.  

 Expectancy...Confidence...Trust...in whom or what?  Through Jesus Christ there is a brilliant ray of hope that we can place all three of these things in.

Romans 5:1-5 HCSB says, "Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.  We have also obtained access through Him by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.  And not only that, but we also rejoice in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope.  This hope will not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us."

This morning during my morning devotions, I came upon the word hope in several of my books that I read.   In each devotion, today focused on hope.  This by no means is just a coincidence. I totally needed this especially today!   I have been struggling physically with some health ailments that I have allowed to discourage me and to bring me to a lowly place. I have been feeling hopeless that things would not change or get better. But God knew just what I needed to refocus and where I needed to place my trust.  My heart was filling with His hope the more I read and dug into scripture, so I just had to share what He spoke to me in regards to hope.

In Romans chapter 8 verses 18-25 Paul talks about our groans to glory holding on to hope.  V.18-25 HCSB reads, "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us.  For the creation eagerly waits with anticipation for God's sons to be revealed.  For the creation was subjected to futility--not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it--in the hope that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage of corruption into the glorious freedom of God's children.  For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together with labor pains until now.  And not only that, but we ourselves who have the Spirit as the firstfruits--we also groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.  Now in this hope we were saved, yet hope that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he sees?  But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with patience."

Let me tell you, this was not entirely encouraging to me at first.  I read this wonderful truth of God's Word and then I got to the part where 'we eagerly wait...with patience.'  What?  Waiting is hard period.  Being eager in our waiting and then having patience while we eagerly wait...that's down right difficult for this girl! Encouragement in this truth is beginning to grow as I re-read it over and over again.  This passage tells me that our sufferings now is absolutely nothing compared to the glory that God will give us...later...in His timing.  In this, it gives us HOPE! I know that I am called to take action in my sufferings and sometimes that action is waiting.
We are to wait...patiently...eagerly...and with hope for God's Promise for us.

Waiting does not diminish what God is doing in our lives. We are enlarged in the waiting.  Of course, we don't see right away what is being enlarged in us and to what degree, but as we wait patiently, eagerly and with hope in God the more joyful we will be in His Promises. The glory that will be revealed to and in us is freedom.  We fall short in the knowledge of His glory, but it will be revealed.   Revealing to us we will see His Work.  Revealing in us we will enjoy what He has done.  

Romans 8:18 NKJV says, "I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which will be revealed in us."

In Jesus Today by Sarah Young, she shares a beautiful description of hope.  She states, "Some people use the word hope to denote wishful thinking, God's-glory hope rings with the certainty of absolute truth.  The nature of hope is that it refers to something in the future, something not yet.  Waiting on God with this hope...patiently as He fulfills His promises.  Ask the Holy Spirit to help you wait hopefully in God's Presence.  Waiting is often a boring task unless you have something interesting to do.  When you wait in God's presence, rejoice that you are in the company of the Creator and Sustainer of the universe.  Delight in the privilege of being with God."

After reading this I was entirely encouraged that my focus shifted from me in my suffering to God and me having the privilege to be in His presence.  Amazing!  The truth is that whatever suffering, hardship, futility, or bondage we currently are experiencing we can always have hope in Jesus Christ for He will reveal in us His glory!  That we are not dealing with whatever it is here on earth for nothing but in it we wait in the presence of God anticipating with expectancy His glory in us.  I have a whole new outlook on waiting, especially waiting with the Lord.  Psalm 33:20 says, "Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and shield." 

We ought to strive to stand in the beauty of Jesus Christ in all of our seasons.  He is our firm foundation.  Continue to set our eyes on God--reprioritizing what comes first.  Trusting Him in and for all things. Then, bit by bit, all things will come together.  Not all the time do we have 'it' all together...even when we think we have 'it' all together!  It's hard enough to hold things together when life is going well, but it is an entirely different scenario when we try to hold things together in more difficult and challenging times.  Colossians 1:17 HCSB says, "He is before all things, and by Him all things hold together."  That's me.  He holds me together.  He instructs me.  He keeps His eye on me.  He does this at all times whether I acknowledge it or not.  Praise God, we don't have to have it all together!  He does it for us!  Psalm 32:8 AMP says, "I [the Lord] will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;  I will counsel you with My eye upon you."  This lifts a huge weight off our shoulders...God's got this.  He has it all under control.  We need to be attentive and deliberate in recognizing when we tend to get in the way of God's instruction and teachings for us.

My prayer is this, 'Lord, help me to remember that it is not by my power, or by my strength, or by my thinking what's best but by Your Spirit that I accomplish anything worthwhile.  Help me to treasure my time in Your presence as I eagerly wait for your glory to be revealed in my life.  Slow me down and show me opportunities that I need to seize to be in Your Presence and wait  .Thank You, Father, for loving me so much that you constantly have your Eyes upon me instructing me in the way that I should go.  I love you, Lord.  Amen."

Well, I pray that your heart has been encouraged and filled with hope.  I am thankful and appreciative for each of you.  May you be richly blessed in this day that our wonderful Lord and Savior has made!

Take care and be blessed,

Christy Krezman
Rosette Ministry