Joyful Hope – Hope Wins – Day 9

One of the harsh realities of life is that there are times when you forget to rejoice. It’s not like you don’t want to but simply that there is nothing left over at the end of the day. You can be so busy taking care of everyone else that all the joy is drained out of you. You may have neglected replenishing your cup. That’s why you are feeling so tired and emotionless. This verse is a reminder to return to joy because you have the confidence that God is working on your behalf according to His good plan. When you lose hope it’s because you got your eyes off of Jesus the only true source of hope and life.

Paul is writing the book of Romans to introduce deep mature teaching. He is most likely in Corinth to tell them that after traveling to Spain he would visit them in order to deliver an offering from the church in Jerusalem. It is a very beloved book that teaches grace from a depth of personal experience and has become the foundation of walking with Christ and knowing who you are in Christ. Romansn has a very special place in my heart because it was the main topic of Bill’s (my hubby who moved to Heaven four years ago) ministry. He LOVED to teach from Romans and most often taught on grace when he was a pastor. Most importantly, he lived out the reality of grace even as his body betrayed him due to Muscular Dystrophy.

In your current difficulty God is working on your behalf and wants your relationship with Him to grow. There have been many times in my life that I lost hope especially when I was the primary caregiver for my husband before he ‘moved to Heaven’. One time he had a choking episode and we had to call the paramedics. I remember getting in my car and putting my head on the steering wheel for a few minutes. I felt pretty hopeless and sad because of all that my precious husband was going through. This was not the road I would have chosen for us.

As I felt despair grab me by the throat, I started crying. I wiped the tears as best I could and steeled my heart to prepare for this next challenge. I managed to compose myself and started driving yet the tears refused to stop. As I got on the freeway, I happened to look up and there were the hope-rays – beautiful, glorious shafts of light poking through the clouds. I had once again turned a corner of hope. Hope-rays seem designed just for me at the precise moment when my faith began to waver as we went through hard times. My hope was restored that there was a good outcome ahead because I can trust the One who promised to always be with me. He is faithful and will carry out His purpose in our lives. I could hold on to hope during tough times with the same confidence that I knew the sun is shining behind the dark clouds.  He only asked me remember to rejoice in this confidence.

I slowed down enough to avoid getting a ticket and made it to the emergency room very quickly. Sure enough, the paramedics’ suction machine in the ambulance was able to clear Bill’s breathing passages and by the time I got to the emergency room he was fine. I was able to take him home right away.

The greatest benefit from being able to have a strong unswerving foundation of hope is knowing the answer to the question, “How do you think everything is going to work out?”
“God’s holding my hand and carrying Bill so I know we will get there just fine.”
Hope is not simply a wish but rather a strong confidence in a positive outcome because God finishes well and restores our joy.

Dear Lord, I thank You for giving Your grace and strength just when we need it the most. I ask that You would grant us the insight to invite you into places where we might feel tempted to use the word ‘hope’ in a common way to cope with disappointments. I choose to remember my joy and the ways that You have provided in the past. Thank You for the truth that sets us free to know we can confidently trust that You are holding on to us and carrying us in the most difficult times.I will choose to look up from my circumstances so I can see Your hope at work even in the midst of all this mess. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

 

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