An Unfailing Hope
How do we live and believe in an unfailing hope when our world is burdened with such hopelessness?
“A Christian will part with anything rather than his hope; he knows hope will keep the heart both from aching and breaking, from fainting and sinking; he knows hope is a beam of God, a spark of glory, and that nothing shall extinguish it till the soul be filled with glory.”
- Thomas Brooks
The great Roman statesman, Marcus Tullius Cicero, said if there is life, there is also hope. Unbeknown to him, he would have been spot on if he had only capitalised the “L” in the word life. The Lord knows when your faith is being strengthened through trials and testing it becomes hard to hold on to an unfailing hope. That is why it‘s important your hope grows and renews from the true Source of all hope. Because hope in the world is unreliable and only temporary whereas hope in the Lord is unfailing and eternal.
We must never base our unfailing hope on the desire for suffering to dissipate, but should find His joy and persevere through trials, tribulations and calamity. More than that, Romans 5:3-5 says we must rejoice in our sufferings, knowing suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope. And hope does not put us to shame because God’s love is poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.
“For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”
2 Corinthians 4:17-18
What is unfailing hope?
Hope is defined as a feeling of expectation and desire for a particular thing to happen. And in the life of the Christian we base this hope on the person and work of Jesus Christ, who’s atonement for our sins on the cross, give us an assurance of salvation and an eternal peace in His presence. The American pastor and author, John Piper, defines biblical hope as the confident expectation and desire for something good. It is the confidence that something good will happen because we are confident in His power, without which, hopelessness will overcome us. Also, an unfailing hope is the confidence the power of Christ will get us through any day.
Through Christ we have the unfailing hope that His kingdom will never end and through His crucifixion and resurrection, we are saved from the eternal outcome of sin. Jesus became the living manifestation of God in this fallen world to conquer death so sinners may have the blessed hope. The same God who created humanity took on humanity to save humanity. His sacrifice justified us before God so we may hope on an eternal life in His endless presence.
“So that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”
Titus 3:7
Hope should never depend on the world, people or our personal circumstances. The reason is that hope is only meaningful and overcoming when we focus on the promised glory we are going to receive in the eternal life to come. Also, hope should never be a momentary conviction but as Psalm 131:3 says, our hope in the Lord should continue forever. Hopelessness should never overwhelm us because we know a Loving Father is never oblivious to our circumstances and we know unfailing hope does not waver because it roots in God’s faithfulness.
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.”
Hebrews 10:23
Hope never tries to hide behind suffering but keeps on believing a better time will come. It knows all tests and tribulations are only temporary, that it works out for our good and that we are not tempted beyond our means. And even though we who are filled with the Holy Spirit may be in the world, we are never from the world. The English preacher, historian and scholar, Thomas Fuller, said the darkest hour of the night comes just before the dawn and today there are multitudes of testimonies that can corroborate this wisdom.
Hope in God doesn’t come naturally for us as sinners and we need to continually remind our downcast spirits of this fact. That is why the psalmist says in Psalm 43:5: “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.” It is a struggle and a fight to maintain hope in God, but it is an inseparable part of the enduring Christian experience. And the question is not whether God will ever bring us to a point where we need Him, but rather, when.
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”
Psalm 46: 1-3&7
Unfailing Hope Beyond Suffering and Desires
The Lord does not allow suffering and calamity simply to punish us. He allows it because it strengthens our faith and a strong faith makes it possible for the Lord to remain number one in our lives. If we would only live by having a desire to put God first and stay focussed on eternity, an unfailing hope will overcome all our troubles and anxieties. We will always be superiorly positioned pertaining to our troubles and sorrows, regardless of the severity, provided we remember that our strength is in the Lord and not ourselves, nor the world.
“But as for me, I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.”
Micah 7:7
We need to praise and worship Him as the most important part of our lives because we love and trust Him and not because our comfort makes it easier. Most people seek their provision and security in the world and anchor their hope in this, but it is the Lord who is our only Protector and Provider. And it is written in 1 Corinthians 15:19 that those who only have hope in this life, of all people, should be pitied the most.
"For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him."
Psalm 62:5
The hope which serves the Lord on a Sunday and serves the world during the week, is a false hope. And a life which is visibly prosperous is empty if there is no spiritual hope. Because those who embrace the world measure the deep waters they must traverse in relation to their health and finances when it is the absence of an active personal relationship with Christ through His spoken Word which leads unto a path of eternal and immeasurable suffering. And contrary to the world system, in God’s kingdom, unconditional surrender always leads to victory as the Lord’s plan and purpose for us never comprise defeat. Because a Loving Father not only keeps His elect upright in the struggle, He also empowers them to leap forward and glorify Him.
“God purposes to bring the Christian to glory. And He will bring you to perfection even if it means He has to chastise you severely. Whatever it takes for sin not to have dominion over the Christian.”
- Martyn Lloyd Jones
When we answer to the knocking on the door of our hearts and open, as stated in Philippians 4:19, He is faithful and will supply in all our needs according to His riches in Jesus Christ. We will find His kingdom when we submit and surrender our hearts to Him and we know from Matthew 6:33 when we first seek His kingdom everything else is added unto us.
But godly provision does not just consist of physical things such as clothing and food but also spiritual things such as love, hope, faith, grace, obedience, protection, favour, purpose and devotion. And this provision will only occur based on what the Lord perceive as a need and not us. Because how do we sinners even contemplate giving preference to our own understanding as opposed to the divine and perfect way of the Sovereign Saviour, who predetermined everything even before time began?
“In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will.”
Ephesians 1:11
His provision is always sufficient once we turn away from our dependence on the world and our desperate search for earthly solutions and place all our trust in Him. With this being said, there is nothing wrong with pursuing the methods in the world for solutions to our problems, provided we still depend on the strength of Christ to deliver us. And we bear forward because we believe the power of Christ is at work in us through the worldly methods.
Our destined path will only become perceptible once we acknowledge Him in everything we do, and this means we do everything for His glory and not merely to survive or to enrich self. If we glorify God in everything we do, he will honour us for everything we are. But we need to remember, the actions which glorify God, often unsettles man. In any event, worldly success, significance and prosperity do not necessarily point to the destined path, nor is it an abundant blessing if it is more important to us than Christ.
“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
1 Corinthians 10:31
Dying to Self through Obedience
The Lord knows that in times of prosperity it becomes more difficult for us to put Him first because in such times we tend to need Him less. When we need Him less, we will drift away from His protecting presence and the further away we move from His presence, the worldlier our hope will become. But a life of prosperity does not automatically point to a life of obedience. We can never serve ourselves and the Lord. We must choose. That is why dying to self is imperative. Because as Christians we are not defined by the great things we do, but by being obedient to God and by putting our lives at His disposal.
On the opposite end of prosperity there is poverty and it also has the power to overwhelm us if we succumb to a desperate dependence on the world. Thankfully, the following words in Scripture promises a victorious outcome to the poor who persevere. But even the poor and afflicted will first need to decide whether they believe the whole Word of God or only the parts they can relate to.
"For the needy shall not always be forgotten, and the hope of the poor shall not perish forever."
Psalm 9:18
To put ourselves at God’s disposal means we remain obedient to His will and the guidance by His Spirit. The greater our obedience, the more fearless our trust in Him becomes. It does not mean we have to commit to more works because it is not about what we do but rather where we stand in our personal relationship with the Saviour. Isaiah 64:6 says our good works are like filthy rags and they do not lead to salvation before a just God. Only Christ’s atoning death and resurrection paid the price, so His justice could be satisfied. Because through justice we ought to get what we deserve, yet by His mercy He gives us what we need.
“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
Hebrews 4:16
A Loving Father has promised us in Deuteronomy 31:6&8 and Hebrews 13:5-6 He will never leave us nor forsake us and we can look forward to an expected end as declared in Jeremiah 29:11. However, the true meaning of this verse does not refer to a worldly prosperity to which we should be looking forward to. From verse seven and onwards we see the Lord is saying to the Israelites they will also prosper if the nation holding them captive prospers.
Therefore, they should pray that it may be well with their captors. The Lord also proclaims that the prophets who are prophesying their imminent freedom are false and that their captivity will in fact last 70 years. The Lord is imploring them to find peace and joy in Him amid their discomfort and suffering and not to be dictated by their fleshly desires. A comfort achieved through the materialisation of our fleshly desires can never lead to a hope that endures through joy and peace. In addition, we need to keep in mind that when we put ourselves and our circumstances before others, we also put ourselves and our circumstances before Christ.
“The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him.”
Nahum 1:7
Matthew 16:25 says if we try to gain our lives, we will lose it and the only way we stop this from happening is when the Saviour remains number one by us dying to self. Only when we die to self will His life resuscitate us. It means we no longer consider ourselves to be the reason for our existence but acknowledge that we were created for a higher heavenly purpose. To deny self is an ongoing process and is only possible if you accept and agree that serving the flesh is not to your advantage.
When we deny our fleshly desires in favour of the way in the Word, we have died to self. We can never accept His planned destiny until self is broken. Because even the apostle Paul bore bad results whenever he served self as it is written in Romans 7:1-6. When we serve self and the world, hope will be based on self and the world. So, for us to ground our hope in God, we need to deny self and overcome the world.
“And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”
Galatians 5:24
Obedience is difficult and does not mean you might get your way. The problem is most of us do not actually want God’s will to be done. We want our will to be done because it is comfortable and requires no serious sacrifice. This is when we pray for sufficient grace to handle a particular stressful situation or fulfill a desire and after that, life carries on as usual. However, Scripture is clear that carrying our crosses is not an option for the Christian.
I believe there is more hope for people who reject the Word of God to serve self, then there are for those who accept the Word based on a reinterpretation to suit their lifestyle and religion. These people also serve the god of self and not recognising the deception makes no difference. It is much harder for the lukewarm to admit their mistake than it is for the cold to embrace the truth.
“Self is the most treacherous enemy and the most insinuating believer in the world. Of all other vices, it is both hardest to find out and the hardest to cure.”
- Richard Baxter
Carrying the Cross
An expected end or breakthrough may not come at the end of this day, next week, the following month or year. But it will come at the end of this lifetime to those who embrace that the narrow path may cost them everything. They are the ones who look beyond this fleeting and temporary fallen state and focus on the eternal promise. They are also the ones who believe, as the American author Catherine Marshall says, only God can change their valley of trouble into a door of hope. Because only the broad road is easy and without personal sacrifice and the only way to find the narrow way is to deny self.
It is an illusion that it is easier to serve God when all our fleshly needs are fulfilled. This is when we think we are serving the Lord amid our abundant fleshly contentment, yet we truly obtain our hope from the flesh. The Saviour is only served if He is number one in our lives and if He needs to settle for any other position, our motive for following Him is corrupted. The following Scripture explains the importance in putting Christ first:
“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.”
Luke 14:26
Prosperity will never give us perseverance and it is times of testing which strengthens our perseverance and persistence because suffering should cause us to move closer to the heart of the Father. When our circumstances bring us to our knees, and we call out to our Saviour in faith, His grace abounds. And even when we’re going through a period where everything is well, we should still supplicate for the power of Christ to strengthen us to be delivered from whatever it is we will be called to face in due time.
The Lord expects us to be grateful for even the littlest of His mercies and we must not have an unhealthy need for the things of this world. The Lord knows it is not possible to depend on the world and conform to Him and as William Gurnall, an English author and Anglican clergyman said, nothing is more contrary to a heavenly hope than an earthly heart.
“For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.”
Galatians 6:8
The Lord has a specific plan and purpose with our lives that is much more intricate than our fleshly weakness permits us to fathom. Furthermore, the narrow path requires substantial sacrifice and sometimes our crosses seem unbearably heavy. But it is important to remember that Jesus never said we should carry our crosses when we feel like it. Instead in Matthew 10:38 He says those who do not take up their crosses daily and follow Him, are not worthy of Him.
Therefore, we need to find courage in the knowledge that the hardest steel is tempered in the hottest flame. We must know most of the time it is our own ears inclining us to listen to the Enemy’s lies and discouragement and this causes our crosses to become much heavier than they are. But his lies are so much more convincing when our knowledge concerning the Word of God is lacking. Knowledge pertaining to the Word of God, illuminated by the Holy Spirit through daily devotion, is an essential and vital part of the Christian life. Jesus is the Word who became flesh and without Christ all hope is lost.
“So, Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, ‘If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
John 8:31-32
Do not focus on the duration of time that the suffering, tribulation and testing lasts. Rather focus on putting your circumstances in His loving hands and trust that your Heavenly Father will never fail you. The Lord will always help those who cry out to him, but we need to believe He will support and sustain us according to His perfect will and way. And we need to be content in knowing that even if the Lord does not remove our suffering, His Spirit will show us the way to courageously and triumphantly carry whatever burden afflicts us.
“Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Matthew 11:28
When Jesus said His yoke is easy and His burden is light in Matthew 11:30, He is not referring to physical burdens but to the burdens brought about by a system of works and religion. His yoke is easy because it is the yoke of repentance and grace through faith. He is saying it is far easier to live by faith than to make yourself acceptable to God through works. However, this Scripture doesn’t mean true discipleship is cheap and easy. On the contrary, Luke 14:25-33 says we should carefully consider the cost.
Grace and Hope for the Crown of Creation
This world is physically decaying and spiritually degenerating because God cursed the creation as part of His judgment on man for sinning. And unlike the elect who can receive salvation for their souls, creation does not share in this provision of grace. As the crown of creation, we have a blessed hope, while creation must wait for restoration.
It is of utmost importance we listen to the words in Romans 8:18 and remain convicted that any tribulation or suffering we may have to endure cannot be compared to the glory that will be revealed in us. No valley of trouble and suffering that this world throws at a Spirit-filled child of God should be able to steal our joy in Christ and nothing that this world may promise should determine our joy.
“Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”
1 Peter 1:8-9
The Lord created His elect for a higher heavenly purpose and that is why nothing in this world should be able to fully satisfy us. We much rather look forward to a future time when this fallen world will be renewed, and the consequences of sin eradicated. And if we proclaim to be Spirit-filled children of the Almighty, then we should also have received a new nature because we were reborn in the image of Christ’s holiness and righteousness. This is the reason we declare that the best days in our lives are the day on which we were born and the day we find out why. Although these words were originally penned by Mark Twain who wasn't a believer, they remain very relevant in the Christian life.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,”
1 Peter 1:3
Nothing happens by chance or coincidence and everything forms part of the puzzle which make up our lives. This is so His plans may come to fruition through Christ’s fullness in us. Because after everything is said and done it is His immeasurable love for the crown of His creation from where we attain an unfailing hope. God allows the circumstances in our lives for His own plans and purposes. And whether we believe the Lord is in total control and whether our own actions created our circumstances, is irrelevant. God is, was and always will be sovereign and He is immutable.
"I form the light and create darkness, I make well-being and create calamity, I am the Lord, who does all these things."
Isaiah 45:7
The Lord is always present where the impossible is prevalent and the Enemy where hopelessness abides. And we find hopelessness where the Saviour is rejected in favour of methods and solutions in the world. This is when we reject the omnipotent and unseen hope which is received through the Son of Man in favour of the seen and futile hope presented by the god of this world.
When Jesus wept for Lazarus, it showed His compassion and understanding for our sorrow and grief. But because He is the resurrection and the life from the grief also came hope for a new life. And when He commanded Lazarus to rise, hope in Him was miraculously fulfilled. Christ is our Saviour and King who shames the unseen and impossible, so He may fill us with a hope that is endless and enduring.
“For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.”
Romans 8:24-25
New Covenant Protection
Despite the teachings in His infallible Word many people still place their hope in the physical protection and security they yearn after in this life. Their faith and hope remain strong in so far as all their physical needs and desires are fulfilled. Whether it be protection from illness, calamity, despair or poverty. And adding to that, many Christians believe they do not deserve calamity and suffering because they are inherently good even though Jeremiah 17:9, Mark 7:21 and Romans 3:10 points to the contrary. They lose hope because they think all tests and trials are punishment and in futility bargain on their works to receive pardon from hardship and despair.
But when we dishonour God by displaying attempts to conform to Christ and at the same time bow before the world, the Lord may give us over to whatever fleshly desire we insist upon. And a misplaced view of God’s grace through ignorance, may also cause the Lord to reveal the deception in the heart by exposing us to the things He protects us from. The following Scripture explains how the Lord’s protection against our own wickedness may escape us when our hearts insist on following the path of the world.
“For although they knew God, they did not honour him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not be done.”
Romans 1:21&28
Unfailing hope should never depend on physical protection as the Lord never promises to protect you from all physical harm. This is clear from Jesus’ words in John 16:33 in which He says in this world we would have tribulation but that we should find courage in knowing He had overcome the world. The Lord’s promises in the New Testament refer to our spiritual protection. This mean that once the Holy Spirit enters our lives and we remain faithful, we cannot lose the salvation His grace granted through faith and we now have freedom from the dominion of sin. This is in essence the promised heavenly protection. Unfortunately, many believers misunderstand this truth.
“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”
Philippians 1:6
Praying for physical protection does not mean the Lord will always grant it because He knows the trials and tribulations we are called to endure from time to time in this fallen world strengthens us and this reality is confirmed in James 1:2-3. Therefore, followers of Christ should find rest in knowing God works in ways they cannot comprehend and that is why we are called to always trust and accept His ways and not always expect to understand.
“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”
Isaiah 26:3
Sometimes His protection is in the form of peace and strength during times of despair. Sometimes His protection is in the form of a destined outcome as He knows the end from the beginning. Sometimes in our misery and affliction the Lord protects us from even greater harm without us knowing. Sometimes our own free will causes calamity in our life and sometimes the Lord allows the Enemy to afflict us for His own intents and purposes. However, in all things God works for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. And those who belong to Christ through regeneration can rest assured that they are never on their own.
“But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.”
1 Thessalonians 3:3
The Lord cannot lie and promises to keep the righteous from departing from Him indefinitely. He will also keep the righteous from the dominion of sin but not from the consequences and commission of sin. Satan may cause us to stumble but God is faithful and will cause the righteous to overcome temptations and will deliver them from his snares. Whatever comes our way we need to believe we can overcome it through Christ who strengthens us and that in due time he will make a way for our escape and deliver us.
Testimonies of Unfailing Hope
In 1 Samuel 1:2-21 we read of Hannah, the mother of the prophet Samuel, who was mocked and ridiculed in the face of her seemingly incurable barrenness. Yet she remained faithful to the Lord and handed her anguish to Him in trust. She steadfastly supplicated to the Lord in prayer and in His time, not only were all the mockers put to shame by her bearing a son, but he became a giant of God who faithfully led the Israelites in a time of great tribulation and apostasy.
Not only was Gideon’s clan the weakest in Manasseh, he was also the least in his father’s house. Yet, the Lord chose and empowered a man of no significance and expectation to lead a force of 300 men to conquer 135 000 Midianite soldiers in Judges 6-8. An impossible task made possible through the divine and sovereign will of an Omnipotent God.
The Samaritan woman in John 4 went to draw water from a well in the day’s heat instead of early in the morning as was the custom. The lifestyle she led until that point in time caused her severe ridicule from the community and that is why she behaved in such a way to avoid people as far as possible. She was expecting and hoping to find no one at the well, yet she met the Son of Man and through her testimony the same community she avoided came to know the Saviour.
The woman who suffered from a continuous discharge of blood for twelve years in Mark 5:25-34 experienced severe discomfort. But it wasn’t the pain she suffered that made her desperate but the fact she was a social outcast because her condition made her perpetually unclean according to the Levitical law. She used all the resources and methods available to her to get well and only got worse. Yet, Christ healed her in an instant the moment she humbly submitted all her hope and faith in Him. Her faith and hope in Christ were so strong she knew if she could only touch the fringe of his garment, He would heal her.
Joni Eareckson Tada broke her neck in a diving accident when she was only seventeen and was paralysed from the shoulders down. And even though she had no use of her hands the Holy Spirit inspired her to write her first book, “Joni” which sold over four million copies. The book details her story and struggles and is translated into fifty languages. Despite her physical disability she operates an international evangelical ministry aimed at helping others in the disability community.
During her two years of rehabilitation after the incident she experienced severe depression and religious doubts which is understandable given the circumstances and her youth. But a gracious God had a bigger plan with her life and today she is a renowned author, artist, singer and advocate for the disabled. Thousands have been blessed by her courage and her life is testimony to the fact that God may grant us profound purpose regardless of our physical shortcomings.
“The best we can hope for in this life is a knothole peek at the shining realities ahead. Even a glimpse is enough. It’s enough to convince our hearts that whatever sufferings and sorrows currently assail us, it is not worthy of the comparison to that which waits over the horizon.”
- Joni Eareckson Tada
When Keith Green, an American Contemporary Christian music artist’s overladen plane crashed along with himself and ten people in 1982 on the property of his Last Days Ministries, two of his children were among those who perished. His wife, Melody, was at home with her one-year-old daughter and six weeks pregnant with their youngest. It is heart-wrenching circumstances for a young mother and wife who lost half her family in an instant. Yet, the Lord’s grace empowered Melody to lead Last Days Ministries without Keith by her side, start a disaster relief fund and become the founder of the movement, Americans Against Abortion. She also wrote a tract called, “Children: Things We Throw Away” and over a period of ten years it reached more than twenty million people. The following quote by her encapsulates her enduring spirit and unfailing hope:
“I have more faith in God’s goodness and ability to provide than ever before. Even when terrible things happen, He can turn those things toward our good... but only if we have the patience to wait while we are hurting.”
- Melody Green
I never imagined when I visited Jerusalem in September 2015 and prayed on the Mount of Olives and asked the Lord to remove all the things in my life which were a hindrance to Him being my all in all, that within a year I would lose everything except my family and my faith. During that prayer I eagerly sacrificed my life, plans, desires and fleshly comfort on His holy altar and the Lord obliged to proceed and test my sincerity. The cost was severe from a worldly perspective yet insignificant from a heavenly one. And knowing what I know now after being refined by the Refiner’s fire, I would again submit to the whole trial in a heartbeat.
When I was polluted by my fleshly perception of needs and succumbing to wanting things to gratify myself, my daily existence revolved around the ever-desperate search and implementation of the various earthly methods to have comfort and significance. Therefore, I am grateful for the Lord calling me and by His grace leading me on a journey through the valley of material desolation. Because it made it possible for me to live with a renewed mindset and focus. And today I embrace His undeserved grace and provision through unshakeable faith with obedient patience.
I know now the trials or tribulations I may have to endure, fail compared to the eternal glory that my Heavenly Father has planned for me. By grace the Lord removed the things in my life which received preference over Him and this enabled me to focus on the eternal things that matter. And now the unfailing hope that grows within me overcomes hardship and moments of despair through the joy, love and peace that abounds within me. I know I can hold unto the hem of His garment in trying times and I can trust and believe in His timing and that He is in total control of my life. I know because I live it. Regardless how dark and impossible the world around me try to paint my circumstances.
“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.”
1 Peter 5:10
So, when we feel like giving up because even a familiar world has turned against us, we only need to be still and know He is God. His mercy, grace and love will be enough for the helpless even when friends and family desert us. Because even our deepest moments of despair and abandonment will bow before the eternal victory, He promises for His disciples who accept the cost of following Him. We should never give up hope on the Lord providing a way even beyond the midnight hour, lest we stand in shame before His throne of grace at His appointed time. And we know as long as we do not give up, we will surely not fail.
Sometimes the Lord gives us exactly what we hoped for, sometimes something completely different. Sometimes He exceeds our wildest expectations. But He will always give us precisely what our spiritual need is. And despite our ignorance, we can't ask for anything better. However, it is only after His bigger plan becomes clear that we realise and acknowledge His way is infinitely better than we could possibly have anticipated.
We need to believe the power of Christ is sufficient for every situation and the lives we lead need to testify to this conviction. The Lord puts us in desperate situations for our own good. And He will do it for however long it may take for us to have complete confidence in His greatness, power and goodness.
When Jesus told the crowd at Jairus’ house in Luke 8:40-56 to go away because Jairus’ daughter was not dead but sleeping, they laughed at him. They laughed at him because they refused to believe in the power of Christ. Even today, long after His resurrection and ascension, there will always be those who refuse to believe.
The question is, do you believe... and in what does your heart place an unfailing hope?
“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.”
Romans 15:13