God’s Promised Hope

I pray that God, who gives you hope, will keep you happy and full of peace as you believe in him. May you overflow with hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13

For almost every dream, idea, or goal God gives us, there is a delay, a time of difficulty—even a dead end—in which our situation deteriorates from difficult to impossible, and accomplishing the goal looks hopeless. But these times are sent for a special purpose. When Paul and the apostles were overwhelmed in Asia, burdened beyond their strength and even thinking it might be the end, Paul said the calamities happened so they wouldn’t trust or hope in themselves but in God, who raises the dead. It was this hope that helped them to continue on the mission to which God had called them (see 2 Corinthians 1:8-9).

Even in the midst of overwhelming problems, we, too, can find hope. It all depends on our perspective. Catherine Marshall once described a friend who boarded a plane. As her friend settled into her seat, she noticed that on one side of the plane a sunset filled the sky with glorious color. But out of the window next to her seat, all she could see was a dark, threatening sky.

As the plane began to take off, a gentle Voice spoke within her: Your life will contain some happy, beautiful times and also some dark shadows. Here’s a lesson that will save you much heartache and allow you to abide in me with continual peace and joy: it doesn’t matter which window you look through; this plane is still going to Cleveland. You have a choice. You can dwell on the gloomy picture. Or you can focus on the bright things, put your hope in me, and leave the dark, ominous situations to me. I alone can handle them, anyway.

We have the same choice. We can focus on God’s everlasting faithfulness and have hope in him, or we can focus on the dark things and be distressed.

Jesus, as I continue to believe in you and trust you, fill me with your peace and let me overflow with hope through the power of your Holy Spirit.

Behind the cloud the starlight lurks,

Through showers the sunbeams fall;

For God, who loveth all his works,

Has left his hope with all!

John Greenleaf Whittier(1807–1892), American poet