...and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Romans 5:4-5 (NKJV)
So suffering produces perseverance and perseverance produces character and character produces hope.
Why all of that just to get to hope? Why can't hope stand alone? How does hope operate?
I could ask hundreds of questions about hope, but I want to concentrate on these three. We are facing difficult times. We have a looming presidential election. We have a very volatile economy. We have wars and rumors of wars. We have families being torn apart. We have religious intolerance mounting. (Are you depressed yet?)
Hope is founded upon a trust in help over a difficult situation or in help to get through difficult times. The hope is grounded in a specific help. Psalm 121 asks "From where does my help come from?"
This Psalm was a song of ascent which is a song used by weary travels to stir up hope the closer they came to Jerusalem the city of their hope. Some say this is also a song about life especially for those who are facing troubling times and conditions (maybe even death). It is a song of assurance or hope. Here it is:
A song of Ascents. I will lift up my eyes to the hills-- From whence comes my help? 2 My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. 3 He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. 4 Behold, He who keeps Israel Shall neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The Lord is your keeper; The Lord is your shade at your right hand. 6 The sun shall not strike you by day, Nor the moon by night. 7 The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. 8 The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in From this time forth, and even forevermore.Psalms 121 (NKJV)
Suffering brings on a desire for help. Perseverance acknowledges that help is on the way or there. Character reveals trust in that help. Hope is the essence of that help.
For the Christian, faith is hope in the unseen. Paul says faith is so much easier in things you can control or see. Ultimate faith in trusting in something you have not seen - namely God.
For those who sang this Psalm, they did not worry about the trivial such as seeing God. They sang because they knew the results of faith. They saw the evidence of hoping in the unseen. Their hope came from a worship deep within them.
As a developing Christian, hope is natural when you let God develop you. God's way is to build up hope through a variety of situations we encounter in life. The greater the suffering does not necessarily mean the greater the hope. Faith, hope, and love grow out of time. The longer we persevere in the faith the stronger our hope. Just speak to some elderly people who have always remained faithful to their Christian growth. Read old journals and books of great preachers or those seen by the church to be faithful.
Hope gives us a reference point. It shows us where. The astonishing thing about hope is that it not only gives us a reference point but it creates a beacon for those looking for hope.
People who are looking for hope are quick to point out the hypocrisy of those whose character does not bear the true marks of suffering. As a beacon of the hope that comes from Christ, we attract attention whether we are looking for it or not. If we are not prepared to give answers for our hope, we will only get skepticism. This Psalm summed up the hope of the those heading to Jerusalem to attend worship. It created a mood for worship.
If you have been through a tough time and you have hope in God, it shows. When you face new trouble or tough times and you seem to be standing stronger than those without hope, it shows. When your finances are tanking and you are still able to worship and smile, it shows. This provides answers for those looking at your hope.
Paul says to the Romans that hope does not disappoint. Why? God has poured His love into our hearts through His Holy Spirit which He has given us. We are not alone in this. God walks with us and sticks closer than a brother.
Turning to God in times of trouble we see that our lives have a hope and a future. We find that a Christian lifestyle is worth the trouble. Title never make the person. God is a masterful artist in how He molds our lives. He adds the color and the shape, and we become the great works he has always believed us to be - but only if we surrender to His love and accept His gift of grace through Jesus Christ.
Do you need hope? Are you unsure of your development as a Christian? Turn to God. Free your life to be molded by Him. Make Christianity a way of life and not a title. Don't waste your life.
No comments:
Post a Comment