(Even though there's another post today, I still want to hear your thoughts about God's glory!)
Still working on Romans 5:2
I suppose most humans have some kind of hope in their lives... in my own life, I've hoped in doctors to help me get better, in my husband and family to love and support me, and in a future where all are well and happy. If I didn't think these things would happen, what would be the point of hoping? Problem is, there's no guarantee they will. Doctors have messed up, and even though my life has been blessed with love and well-being, unthinkable things could happen and that hope could be shattered.
As we see in Hebrews 11:1, hope is a vital part of faith. In faith, there is "the assurance of things hoped for"... Stop and think about that for a moment. The ASSURANCE of things hoped for. No possibility of a hope being shattered...
So what kind of unshatterable hope do you have?
Look back at yesterday's post, and the definition you hold of God's glory...
Would some of you share with us what hope you have?
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
The Hope
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5 comments:
Hey guys, reading you thoughts about hope, got me thinking. I love the verse you're looking at... hope in the glory of God. Now that is something worth having "hope" for! :-) We KNOW that the glory of God is real, and we can believe it, because we have faith and can trust it to be true. I guess we do hope in a lot of other things too, but I almost think that the only hope worth having... is in the Glory of God. EVERYTHING else... on earth can/could/might let us down, and that doesn't mean that maybe we shouldn't have those hopes, but I think we need to maybe see that difference. When we hope "in the Lord" we will not be let down, but when we hope in anything else, we just have to realize that we can be let down. I think the more we can truly set our hope on God, and not have hope/expectations for other things... (maybe goals/things we look forward to/ etc) but it seems like the more expectations we have the more we can sometimes be let down. I know I hope in so many things, but I think maybe I should really have my goal be to hope in the Lord, and be happy/thankful for everything else. Whenever I ask my mom "what are you- looking forward too, or... are you looking forward to maybe something fun coming up etc... " she always says, I don't really get "excited" for things. she just really trys to live in that day, and be content in that day etc. I know I do get excited, and I don't really think that it's wrong to be excited for things, happy for them, etc. God says soo much about joy, and some of that is the joy of anticipation/hope... but it does always make me think when i ask her that and she's so non-forward thinking, and so present in that moment and just focused on that day/time. Reminds me of that verse do not worry about tomorrow.... what it will bring etc. each day has enough worries of it's own.
Even in regards to my kids, I know I have great "hopes" for them, that Makenna would love horses, and swimming.. etc. But I don't ever want to be 'disappointed" by her desires or interests. She's god's baby, entrusted to me, and I don't want to putt my desires on her (although I'm sure that kind of happens just b/c I'm her mom, weather I hope and plan for her or not). You know though- the extremes of parents that just soooo want their kid to be a dancer, or athlete or whatever, and that's just not healthy for me to put on my kids. So... again, hoping in the Lord, and hoping that she LOVES the Lord... is probably the safest way for me to "hope" for my kids! :-) Then anything else is just a bonus.
Anyway, this is obviously a long thought, but it was great to have a chance to think about it. Would love to hear anyone's thoughts on this. It's just kind of what hit me right off as I started reading it.
I enjoyed reading both of your thoughts on this... can completely relate... I don't have kids, but have plenty of hope in the wrong things. It's funny you wrote about this yesterday, because it was just yesterday that I was convicted of putting my hope in the wrong places. I was reading an article in my parents' Gospel for Asia magazine about a little kid that had read about Jesus and whose mom was on her deathbed. He told the missionary who had been witnessing to him that he knew Jesus would heal his mom. The missionary went over to their house, laid hands on her, and prayed fervently, and the next day she was out of bed and cooking and whatnot. Miracles still happen, but where is our faith? Why don't we have faith like that first grader? What's the first thing I think of when I am confronted with a health issue? Going to the doctor, calling my mom (ok, she's a nurse but also a great listener especially when I'm looking for sympathy), maybe praying, but it's not always the first place I turn, not usually the kind of faithful prayer that it should be, and not the primary place I'm putting my hope.
I just wanted to add my favorite verse: "Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but 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 be faint."
Isaiah 40:30-31.
That's a great point too! Hope in the Lord.... and you shall renew your strength! Awesome... but faith is kind of a different... it's hope in the Lord for what He can and will do! And I sure do agree, we need more of itt... that verse that says let it be done to you according to your faith.... always makes me wonder how much our lack of faith might hinder what God does. Pray for more faith and Hope in the Lord! Amen! Great thought though... it does make you think.
We had a retired pastor preach a few Sundays ago and something he said really stood out to me. He said that the word Hope had a different meaning to it than what we think Hope is now. I looked it up in the Dictionary are here are some of its definitions: "to look forward to with desire and reasonable confidence", "to believe, desire, or trust". We so often think of hope with a negative connotation (like, I Hope BSU beats Hawaii). However, Hope was practically an absolute. If you hoped for something, you were sure it would happen.
The assurance I have of this unshatterable hope is that I have the promise of seeing my children and loved ones again someday in Heaven. What more could I ask or hope for, but to see them again-- with Jesus there.
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