HOPE’S CONFIDENCE
Susan Murray
Today’s Scripture: “Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.” Romans 12:12, ESV
Theme: Refuse to be profoundly affected by negative circumstances; keep on praying and remain hopeful.
HOPE DEFERRED
“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life” (Proverbs 13:12, NIV). I have had times in my life when what I hoped for did not become a reality. The most difficult and painful episode was losing custody of my youngest son. That loss rocked me to the core, leaving me feeling suicidal. I threw my Bible in the trash, saying to myself, “What use is faith if this happens?!?”
FALSE HOPE
To my way of thinking, I needed to win custody for my life to be good and right. My hope for a happy, fulfilling, and peaceful life was grounded in circumstances. Yet this loss revealed my heart's posture of putting my hope in temporal, earthly things. Nothing is guaranteed. Tomorrow my house could burn down, my savings account could be wiped out, my husband could die, or my health could be lost. Despite making good wise choices to plan for good things to enjoy (3 John 1:2), I realized that I have no real control. It’s not wrong to hope, plan, and even pray for good things, but these things are not a sure, guaranteed hope. We cannot be confident in them. Just ask Job.
TURNING POINT
Losing custody of my son was the worst and yet best thing that ever happened to me. It was extremely painful, but God meant it for my good (Romans 8:28). I had not realized that I was following God because of the things I could get from Him to make my life what I wanted it to be. I was treating Him like a vending machine in the sky. I put in my coins of prayer, Bible reading, and church activities; then He “owed” me what I really wanted. Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love the Lord, but I was loving the Lord’s blessings more than Him. Yet He loved me too much to allow me to continue this way. It took a loss to discover these false hopes and invite me to a better hope.
TRUE HOPE
In my moment of hopelessness after losing custody of my son, I reached out for help. By going to counseling and Celebrate Recovery, I found the support I needed. My circumstances did not change, but Jesus became my hope for living.
Our hope is only as good as what it rests on. Eventually, everything in this life goes away when we die; that is certain. But there is another certainty. His Name is Jesus. Biblical hope is not a “hope so” filled with uncertainty but a sure hope. It is a hope that brings joy and gives us confidence to live the life God has given us. Missionary Jim Elliot wrote in his journal: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”
When loss hurts and success feels empty, it is God’s invitation to move from putting all our hopes in people and things (which will eventually go away) and instead place our hope in the One who will never go away. Jesus is faithful as our hope for satisfaction in this fallen sinful world which disappoints and as our salvation into a better eternal world.
REMEMBER
How can we fight to shift our hope to Jesus? By remembering. Life-sustaining hope occurs as we look at the past, seeing God keeping His promise of providing a Savior (Isaiah 53:11, Acts 13:23). It also occurs by looking at the present, as we see His help today (Acts 14:17). We gain hope as we look to the future promise of a new heaven and new earth (2 Peter 3:13), sharing in Jesus’ glory (Romans 8:27).
“For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God” (I Peter 1:18-21, NIV).
Make It Personal: What things or people are you turning to as a source of hope? Complete this sentence: “If I only have _________, then my life will be good.” Your answer is your hope. Today, do you fear a loss which is causing anxiety? Have you lost that thing already, and are feeling depressed? Are you having thoughts of suicide? It’s time to ask for help. I did and it was worth it. Please call a friend or a counselor today or go to the nearest emergency room. You can call the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-8255. Care groups and Celebrate Recovery are also always available to support you through the hurts, habits, and hang-ups of life.
Pray: Dear God, You created everything in this world for our enjoyment, and yet we love these things more than You. We became hopeless because of our sin. You saw our hopelessness, and in compassion, You gave us a new hope – Jesus. In Your grace, please make this Hope a greater reality than the people and things around us so we may live this life full of hope, freeing us to love and serve while waiting for Your return. Amen.
Read: 1 Timothy 6:17; Romans 5:1-11, 8:18-30; 2 Corinthians 4:17-18, Ephesians 2:12-13; Psalms 42:11
Weekly Memory Verse: “The the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.” Romans 8:6b, NIV