“Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” Romans 5:1-5
Hope is a four-letter word that makes the future possible. Hope is like a beacon of light that enables us to look beyond today and see beyond where we are now. Hope is not the absence of problems, but rather it’s the presence of God Himself.
The Scripture says: “Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not faint.” So always remember — hope does not disappoint.
The reason that hope does not disappoint is because hope is not based on anything that we can accomplish. For sure hope is based on and is founded on our eternal triune God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. And this God has promised His grace and blessings on our every need.
This God we serve wants to lift us out of despair into sure hope. A hope that helps us to imagine and reach for a better future for ourselves. Because our world is filled with high expectations, unkind people, naysayers and so many other pressures, but hope helps us to overcome these adversities.
This is why Scripture tells us that “Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
In other words, God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the power of the Holy Spirit. And having this kind of hope can take us from a place of darkness to a place of light. And hope also teaches us how to live in a broken world where suffering is part of our everyday lives.
Hope does not disappoint, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the power of Holy Spirit. And God’s Spirit opens our eyes through His Holy Word, which helps us to see that God has a purpose and a plan for our lives. Hope does not disappoint.
Rev. Marion J. Miller is the Senior Pastor of Wesley United Methodist Church, 1201 Thomas V. Bryant Drive, Jeffersonville, Indiana. She may also be contacted at 812-283-3747 or via email at wesley1201@sbcglobal.net.
