Digging Deeper: The God of Hope
Now may the God of all hope fill you with joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13 (ESV)
THE GOD OF HOPE
Standing at the door to the church, they came one by one, stopping to hug me. “I loved your mother… Aren’t you so thankful for the hope of heaven?” Their eyes were filled with compassion as their love for her streamed down their faces.
In the throes of unexpected grief, I often asked myself, “What is this hope I’m supposed to be grateful for?” After all, we owned funeral clothes now. Just eight months before my mother passed away, my mother-in-law went to be with Jesus, and a year before that, my husband’s best friend.
Webster’s Dictionary defines HOPE as “to cherish a desire with anticipation: to want something to be true.” That’s heartbreaking, isn’t it? The thing is, if we look to the things of this world to define the God of this world, we’ll come up short every time.
If, like me, the suffering of this life has caused you to question the greatness of this hope, I want you to know the pages of scripture are filled with people like you and me wrestling out all we say we believe. Perhaps we’ve been asking the wrong question in, “What is this hope?” Maybe we should be asking, “Where have I placed my hope?”
The truth is, our only hope in life and death is Jesus Christ. Our hope certainly isn’t found in the circumstances of this life. It’s not in people or relationships, how successful we are, the status of our 401k, our debt-to-income ratio, or how we choose to school our children.
Unlike the dictionary, we don’t have to “want it to be true.” Our hope is sure and true because Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection secure it. And God has sworn by Himself (Isaiah 43:23) that it is only through Him that we are saved. And without the promises of His word, we wouldn’t have anything to build our lives upon.
Ultimately, I’m learning that when I dare to stare into the hardest, most painful events of this life, I find that Jesus really is working all things together for my good and His glory. And as I lean in and surrender more, there is joy and peace that only He can give. That’s our hope! Won’t you lean into Him today?
PRAY: Jesus, this life can be so hard. But you make all things beautiful. Give us eyes to see you more in this season, to trust you more in our pain, and to love you more deeply in our longing. You are our only hope. We love you, and we need you. Come, Jesus, we pray. Amen.
Sarah Jefferson is married to Curtis and the mother to Grey, Sanders and Collins. She is a rare Atlanta native, currently living in Acworth. Sarah began her career in public relations in the sports industry. Now, she writes web content for a variety of companies and ministries. When she’s not writing or blogging, you can find her running or hiking the beautiful trails of north Georgia and spending time with her busy family.