Pastor’s Corner: “A Different Kind of Hope”
Romans 5:3-5 (ESV) – 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope (in salvation – NLT), 5 and hope does not put us to shame, ( And this hope will not lead to disappointment- NLT). because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
What is hope? If you ask most people about hope, they will tell you about their dreams. I hope to retire with enough money to live comfortably. I hope my kids grow up to be happy and healthy people. We think of hope as a maybe. I hope it doesn’t rain this weekend. We think of the word hope as a synonym for wish or want. Usually our false pursuit of hope is focused on a pain-free life without any suffering.
Hope is found not in the avoidance of suffering but the working through it. According to this passage, hope has to do with an experience of God’s love that does not disappoint but instead feels like a flood of God’s love in the heart. This overwhelming experience of love, through the process of suffering, perseverance, and character, offers us a sense of certainty about God and our future.
Let us walk through this scripture: 1. Suffering produces endurance in us. 2. Endurance brings maturity to our character. 3. A mature character produces the hope we have in our salvation. How? Because only God will use a problem in our life to remind us of who He is, what He is about and where our destination lies. In God’s economy, problems translate into security. Only God.
Only God would take a trial, a painful circumstance, a hurt, a discouragement, a disappointment and use that to strengthen our hope for our salvation and security. And what comes next is what makes all the difference: “And this hope will not lead to disappointment.” (NLT)
This is the balm to our hurting souls. This is what we have been looking for all along and we did not know it. Disappointment rules our lives because of what we put our hope in. Suffering reminds us of the one and true hope that we can always count on. When we experience the flood of God’s love in our hearts through Holy Spirit, during a season of suffering, it’s as if God is holding us and saying:” I know you’ve been disappointed again. I know you placed hoped where hope doesn’t last. I know you are so ready to be through this season, but I am using it make you stronger and more who I need you to be. I want you to know and understand that these situations push you to me? And when you come to me, do I ever disappoint you?” My response is always: “No, Lord. You have never once disappointed me.”
God is incapable of disappointing us. That’s what makes him God. It’s not that He won’t – which He won’t – but He absolutely CANNOT. Everything about Him, everything He does, all His plans, all His purposes, all He is about will never lead to disappointment. If God springs a well of hope and love within you it’s because he plans to fulfill it. If God allows troubles and trials to come your way it is because He is leading you to a place where He is. And when you find Him there, He will not disappoint you. HOPE IN JESUS AND HIS SALVATION NEVER LEADS TO DISAPPOINTMENT.
In His Grace
Pastor Hamilton