New: 18 February 2025
The Beauty &
Comfort of Hope
Romans 15:13
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in him, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13 NET
The Power of Hope
Hope is oxygen for the soul, as is sun and water for plant life. We cannot live without hope. Hope is powerful. It inspires us to aspire. The great things we dream of, even when circumstances are difficult and change seems unlikely, find a place in our hearts and minds and we hope that they may come true after all. Tough times and suffering are part of life, yet hope makes all the difference. God is the God of hope who empowers us by His Spirit so that we may have hope and abound in it, no matter how our present situation may look. With hope comes joy and peace in the midst of the storms of life. Hope is the eager expectation that something good will happen in the near future. It inspires us to strive for a better tomorrow after a painful yesterday. Hope gives us the courage to try again after things go wrong and to look for a new beginning after life’s failures came crushing in. Hope is like a farmer sowing more seed after a failed harvest. It aspires to make things better again and doesn't give up. Hope has the power to rise from the ashes. Joy may endure in the night, but joy comes in the morning (Psalm 30:5).
Martin Luther King Jr. sought to hew 'a stone of hope' from 'the mountain of despair.' And he succeeded! King inspired many to rise above their current circumstances into a better future with justice, peace and prosperity. Remember, your present situation is not your final destination; it's your departure point into a better future. Whatever 'mountain of despair' might be in front of you, seek ways to hew out 'stones of hope.' Even small 'stones of hope' can energise your soul and feed it with the oxygen of hope. The psalmist found strength in hoping in God. He spoke to himself that his soul should hope in God and praise Him (Psalm 42:5, 11). Despite the oppression of the enemy by day (vv 9-10) or the tears at night (v 3), God was his hope—the living God wouldn't fail him! God is the hope of Israel (Jeremiah 14:8; Psalm 130:7; 131:3); He is our hope (Acts 28:20). He is the God who promised 'a future and hope' when Israel was in captivity (Jeremiah 29:11).
In his great loss and suffering, Job had hope in God. He knew one day things will be different again (Job 19:25). Job knew that there was hope in the midst of suffering, even for a tree that was cut down to blossom again (14:7). He held onto fervent hope and trusted God even though what he was going through felt like punishment (13:15). He would not sin against God but trust Him fully (1:22). He would not allow his soul to speak in anger because of his pain; it would be foolish to do so (2:10). Anger corrupts our soul. Like Hannah, we must pour out our heart before God and find strength and hope in Him (see 1 Samuel 1—2). Job's hope was in God and God restored to Job much more than he had lost (42:10, 12). James commends Job for his perseverance during trials and writes about him as those blessed because of their endurance (James 5:11). Our focus must not be on the present suffering, but on the 'end intended by the Lord,' while we rely on His mercy and compassion. Divine hope didn't disappoint Job; it never does. We can blossom like a tender flower despite the tough circumstances we're in.
There is a divine hope that doesn't disappoint, evidenced by God's Sprit in us (Romans 5:5). That hope—and its power and comfort—is in the Gospel of Jesus Christ (vv 1-4). Hardships or not, we trust Him! Hardships make or break us; during times of ease, we either remain humble or fall after becoming proud. Hope and humility will see us through. Hope inspires joy and peace. Through Christ we have 'peace with God.' His peace will guide us and His peace will guard us. The hope God inspires in us, is the hope in Christ. We are born-again to 'a living hope' (1 Peter 1:3). There is beauty and comfort in the hope God provides, a hope that won't fail or disappoint us. We have a 'good hope' in this life (2 Thessalonians 2:16) and 'the hope of eternal life' (Titus 1:2; 3:7) beyond this life—the eternal hope! The Gospel is related to the hope of resurrection and eternal life (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17). Present sufferings can't be compared to the hope were have in God (Romans 8:18). We have reason to hope! We can hold on to Christ and the confession of faith, 'for He who promised is faithful' (Hebrews 10:23). God is the God of hope in whom we can have a hope that empower us by His Spirit (Romans 5:5). His love is poured out in our hearts through His Spirit and His love is our hope! It is the divine love Christ demonstrated by His sacrifice (vv 6-8). His love is the hope of forgiveness in the darkness of sin. Hope in our hearts is a little but powerful piece of heaven on earth. Divine hope is a light in the darkness of this world.
and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Romans 5:5
Hope is a Light in the Darkness
Many people in the Bible had troubles to deal with, yet they carried a hope that got them through it all. There was beauty and comfort in hope. They knew that although their present circumstances weren't pleasant, the life ahead of them was more important than the life behind them. They had to look in hope towards a better future. When you look back with pain or look around you with anxiety, best to look up to God with hope! God is faithful. Hope gives us not only the patience to wait for the storm to pass, but also the joy to dance in the rain! When we know the faithfulness of God, we know that hope is real. Life isn't always easy and never perfect, but we can make it beautiful and meaningful. Whatever darkness you might be facing, there is a light of hope that can make all the difference: God enlightens our darkness (Psalm 18:28). When we find ourselves in a dark place of despair and disappointment, we desperately need the light of hope. God is our light, yet we also need someone who comes to us with a torch into our darkness. Hope is the light in the darkness. Those who bring the light into our darkness are priceless. When we sit in a dark place, we will never forget those who came to us with a torch. There is beauty and comfort through the light of hope in our darkness. Hope gives us the courage to go on despite disappointments. We must handle shattered dreams properly or else we will end up in the quicksand of bitterness. Hope gives us the strength to go on when painful setbacks have occurred.
There are many powerful and inspiring stories in the Bible about hope being a light in the darkness when everything seemed lost. It seemed impossible for Abraham and Sarah to have the promised child—yet God made it happen. It seemed hopeless for Joseph when he was in prison that his dreams would come to pass—yet God made it happen. It seemed senseless for David to keep on pursuing the throne of Israel when he was rejected, despised and persecuted—yet God made it happen. All seemed lost when the Agagites within the Persian Empire prepared to exterminate all Jews during the time of Esther when she tried to save her people—yet God made it happen. Abraham and Sarah had a son, Joseph's dreams came to pass, David became king and Esther saved her people. The hope they carried kept them going. It was a light in a dark place. God made it happen!
Jonathan encouraged David at a crucial time in life—he brought a light into David's darkness (see 1 Samuel 23:15-18). Mordecai advised Esther what to do—it was a light of hope in a dark time. Joseph kept on serving others while being in need himself—he had hope as a light in the dark. Abraham and Sarah believed God in hope against hope, for they considered Him who promised faithful (Romans 4:18-21; Hebrews 11:11). Hope is the light in the darkness. Be grateful to those who bring the light of hope into your darkness of despair. There is hope and hope is good.
Hope Deferred
Yet hope deferred makes the heart sick (Proverbs 13:12a). When everything comes crushing down and life's hopes are shuttered, we are tempted to become despair, bitter, resentful and lose hope. We need hope especially when hope is deferred. We need to find the strength to continue hoping when the 'going gets tough.' We all know the pain of disappointments when what we hoped for didn't come to pass or how something beautiful was taken away from us—it's painful, it's discouraging, it's tough. But how you bounce back from setbacks and failure will shape who you are (identity) and will determine where you will go in life (destiny). This is important; it matters. When the going gets tough, it's vital that you get going—tough or not! There is pain in 'hope deferred,' yet there is renewed faith in 'a longing fulfilled'—it's a tree of life (Proverbs 13:12b). The God of the Bible is the God of hope who gives us hope and strengthens us with hope, joy and peace (Romans 15:13). The many stories of hope in the Bible give us comfort, encouragement and strength in life (v 4), so we will have hope and won't despair over what is wrong, painful and difficult in life. With divine hope in our hearts, we can endure loss, suffering and delay without having the kind of sorrows like those who have no hope in life. We have hope in this life and for the life to come—eternal life, eternal hope. When hope is deferred, we need to persevere in hope. Here's how.
We must handle the negative effects of disappointments without changing who we are. We must stay true to ourselves and overcome evil by doing good, and avoid revenge and bitterness that pollute us (Romans 12:21). Negativity can corrupt us—and we can't allow that. By doing good despite the challenges we face, we avoid the corruption of bitterness. Joseph stayed true to his good-natured soul: he served others while unjustly sentenced to prison. He actually did what was right (refused sexual pleasure with his boss' wife), yet was falsely accused and sentenced to prison without evidence or even a trial. Life isn't always fair, but God is always good and faithful. Joseph's hope was deferred, yet not denied. God would fulfil the dream He had given him years earlier, but the way that worked out for Joseph was probably not how he imagined it. God is faithful and was working out His purpose for him and through him for the people, including his brothers who betrayed him, the women who lied about him, and the people who imprisoned him. God has a way to fulfil His promises despite the opposition against you or the obstacles you need to overcome on the way to reaching your destiny. Joseph had to be in that prison to meet the very people responsible to prove what he carried (prophetic gift to interpret dreams) and the one man who made the ultimate promotion possible. Joseph's desire was fulfilled and it was a tree of life to him and those around him. What others planned for evil God turned around for something good (see Genesis 50:20). This was Joseph's conclusion at the end when desire was fulfilled, after hope had been deferred but not denied. He didn't become bitter; he found beauty and comfort in hope. It was a light in the darkness of rejection, falsehood and betrayal. God is faithful. If it's worth waiting for, wait for it.
As for you, you meant it for evil
against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.
Genesis 50:20
Carrying Hope in our Hearts
Jospeh carried hope in his heart; so did Job, David, and Abraham and Sarah. The hope they carried in their hearts is the hope that carried them through. Carrying hope in our hearts will empower us to get through our trials and troubles, our sufferings and struggles. Joseph saw the greater plan of God and His purpose to save others. When you see the bigger picture and how God has worked out all things together for good (Romans 8:28)—for you and others—perception shifts by that new perspective.
Stay faithful to God and His truth no matter what hits you in life. The Almighty sees and knows everything. He strongly supports those whose hearts are loyal to Him (see 2 Chronicles 16:9a). He will vindicate the righteous. Don't worry because of evildoers who get away with evil and those who prosper by fraud and lies. Remain steadfast in trusting God—He will work things out for you. Evil won't triumph forever (see Psalm 37). When hope is deferred, keep rejoicing in hope—even in hope against hope—be patient in trials and remain devoted to prayer (Romans 12:12). Always pursue to overcome evil by doing good, and never fall for the trap of becoming evil yourself (v 21). Stay true to yourself. Don't allow the corruption around you to corrupt the goodness inside of you. Remember, a boat doesn't sink because of the water around it, but because of the water in it. Don't allow water into your 'boat.'
When hope is deferred, keep rejoicing in hope, be patient in trials and remain devoted to prayer until the desire is fulfilled—it's a 'tree of life, for you and others around you. The purpose God has called you for is greater than just you. Seek to be a blessing to those around you and share the hope you carry in your heart (1 Peter 3:15). See the beauty in what you can do for others as you keep hope alive in your heart and gain comfort in seeing how your life is a blessing to others. This is a beautiful and meaningful perspective on life and its trials! The God of hope is with you always, empowering you to abound in hope and spread hope to others. You, too, can be a light of hope in someone's dankness of despair. There is beauty and comfort in this.
And always remember, hope deferred is not hope denied.