It begins as far back as we can remember. Right before we run off to school, we smear on our mama’s lip gloss and clamp down as many hair clips as our endless bangs will allow. We hope for another attempt to fit in with the others, to measure up, to belong.
Growing up, I often found myself balancing enjoying the moment and anticipating the next one. As a young child, my hopes centered around a 25-cent soft-serve ice cream cone after church on Sunday nights. My hopes matured as I did—working to make the swim team, racing to the finish line at a track meet, and striving to win an award. I hoped for slumber party invitations, a certain new sweater for Christmas, and, of course, beating my brother at checkers.
Those early years of putting my best foot forward, I hoped the appearance of having it all together would win me friends. But years down the line, the stakes of life loomed larger, and deep heartache entered in—never mind the lip gloss or hair clips.
In truly tragic moments, our hope is put to the test. And if it’s misplaced, it will be found wanting.
The hope we read about in Romans offers us a greater understanding of the hope God offers. It takes us from tangible evidence we can see, and pushes us deeper into a faith that asks for what we cannot see. In fact, all of creation is wired for this. If something breaks, we are hardwired to figure out a solution. Most problems can’t be solved in a day, so we work and test and try until we receive the desired outcome. But there will always be a hope offered by God that requires all of Him, and no amount of our working and testing will bring it to pass. This is the hope of Christ, our Rescuer and Redeemer.
Because of Christ, we are free to hope in even the most difficult or uncertain circumstances. The first chapter of Philippians reminds us “he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (v.6). Trials are accompanied by hope. Hope is a gift. Hope is critical, and the gospel gives us an unending supply.
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
—Romans 8:37
Any suffering we endure here and now is incomparable to God’s coming glory (2Corinthians 4:16–18). This is the beautiful gift of hope.
One day our groans will give way to glory (Romans 8:23). While we wait, we place our hope in Jesus.
If Romans 8:36 and Psalm 44:22 made you wonder here is some helpful commentary that I found from The Gospel Coalition by David Starling: The implications of this reading are of great theological and pastoral importance. Lament, for Paul—even protesting lament—retains its validity as an authentic expression of Christian faith. It is not faith’s last word on suffering, but it is still a valid word to be spoken by God’s people in response to sufferings that are unexplained and (at least from a human standpoint) inexplicable. Christians are to voice that which creation is unable to articulate—and when that fails, know that the Spirit is able to articulate for us that which we can say neither for ourselves nor for a groaning creation.
The message of the gospel does not explain the inexplicable, or restrict its comfort only to those sufferings that are uniquely Christian sufferings, experienced as the direct outworking of the faithfulness of believers. Nor does it work by a kind of hermeneutical alchemy to convert Old Testament lament into Stoic indifference or New Testament assurance. Its effect is not to silence the voice of lament or to convert it into some better, more Christian utterance; it is, rather, to offer assurance that the voice of the lamenter, and of the whole groaning creation, has been heard (and, indeed, that in the groanings of the Spirit the burden of the lament has been shared by God himself) and that it will ultimately find its answer through what God has already accomplished in the death and resurrection of Jesus.
what’s encouraging me this difficult morning is the assurance that Jesus is near to me, and nothing can separate me from His embrace. He had already won, the devil already lost, and though afflictions nag at the hope of my soul, nothing can truly silence the whispers and echoes of His love that are beautiful and remind me this pain is nothing compared to the symphonies coming
I am right there beside you. This whole study has been a struggle for me.
Oh amen..our Hope is found In You Lord Jesus Christ! Amen!
Our afflictions rarely seem MOMENTARY and LIGHT but what God has prepared for us WHEN WE DO NOT FICE UP !
Our afflictions rarely seem MOMENTARY & LIGHT,
Nothing can separate us from the love of God ❤️
Happy Friday she’s,
The theme of HOPE seems to continue for me from yesterday unto today. The manifold afflictions for godly ministry are so grievous that caused me to pray for our dear brothers and sisters (perplexed, persecuted, struck down, carrying the death of Jesus, and more). Hope in situations like that can shift focus, and will turn into a fuel to run the vehicle of ministry. It is supernatural to me. If we look to the things that are seen, we can get depressed. Ouch! (guilty me). The brokenness and crushing from God for the molding of the clay vessels from the Potter’s hand got me cringe. It was mentioned in Psalm 44:19, “But You have crushed us in the lair of jackals; You have covered us with deepest darkness”. I braced myself as I read this. We will be tried and tested by God, the dying to self & our idols must happen in the dark times. I struggled with this for a while as some molding pains could be tragic. God’s ways are not our ways, His thoughts are higher, and hence we need to learn to change, be flexible, and get rid of our ways to make room for His as He prompts us to. We no longer hope in the flesh or outward circumstances, because we should not, and cannot when things are exhausted. One by one God will go through our idols to kill them. He shares His glory with no one. Our hope should always be placed in the heavenly realm where no thieves of the night can come in to steal, kill, or destroy. Tears might be in the night, but joy shall come in the morning as we hope in Him. Hope must be placed where satan is denied access (God’s realm), to preserve the things that will be brought to full completion within us. He has started, He will finish – it is a scary thing. Hope that is seen is not hope. We hope in the unseen realm. Very abstract for me, but a spiritual principle which I must meditate on. Glory to His Truth that makes the simple wise. If we say we hope in Him, then when circumstances come to take away all our stuff, we find ourselves completely devastated. Then the trials come to prove our hope misplaced. The dreaded test of brokenness to locate our hope where it’s at is necessary. May God have mercy and direct our hope. Have a great weekend she’s. I am praying for the requests along your dedicated lists (so thankful for you all to lead by example by being faithful in prayers- Romans 12:12). Be blessed dear sisters.