Dear Ones:
Hope is a very powerful thing. However, the strength of that hope lies in its nature, and purpose, for its existence. Does our hope have its origin in something we would like to see or to happen? Is it of human design and nature? Or does it exist because there is a Divine purpose in its existence? Will it, or can it, be certainly realized?
When we speak of the Hope that God gives, we can be sure that it is not just an idea or an aspiration of the heart. It is a gift, or pledge, of that which is of God’s design and purpose, something that He WILL realize. The whole basis for it is found in the nature of God, and His commitment to the realization of it, in His time and in His way, for His glory, and our blessing.
In Romans 8:24, Paul writes to the Romans: “For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?” What does he mean by this statement? The hope of which he speaks is embedded in the eternal, irreversible, unchangeable work of Christ on Calvary. This hope is not just an aspiration which “might” be realized. It is a certainty because of the Divine nature of it, and of its immutable constitution. The man who would hope in Christ, and in Him alone, has put his feet on eternally solid ground, “…and hope maketh not ashamed.” There is no misguided false expectation here, only the promise of God backed up by the whole perfect nature and commitment of God to His word and its fulfillment.
However, there is a problem with this hope, and it is seen in the life of Abraham. God had spoken to him, and promised him an heir, a son of promise. The whole of Abraham’s expectation, and hope, were founded upon the immutable Rock of God’s absolute commitment to him. However, Abraham lived in an imperfect world, a world where sight often dictated one’s beliefs and position. He was an old man; his wife beyond the age of child-bearing. To look at themselves in the mirror of natural reality was to see, face to face, that which was humanly impossible. It is at this point that we see that a choice must be made with regard to what we might term, “human hope,” as opposed to Divine Hope. On the one hand, all trust is placed in the resources of man, hence, the realization of terrible limitations. On the other hand, all trust is placed only, uniquely in God Himself. What did Abraham CHOOSE to believe? He staked all in the “God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. Who against hope (human hope), believed in hope…(the Divine hope), that he might become the father of many nations.” (Romans 4:17-18) Here is a man who lived in the expectation of the realization of God’s promises. He chose to put his trust uniquely in the immutable, loving character of the One who had promised. In staking all upon Christ, God did the wonderful thing…and the world was changed…so was Abraham!!
Where is our hope? Of what kind is it? Is our expectation sure because it has its origin and realization in the Spirit of God, in Christ, for the glory of the Father? Christ is debtor to no man. What He promises, He will do. The issue is whether He can find in our hearts those who will trust Him wholly.
Dear Lord, give us grace to NOT stagger at the promise of God when faced with the impossibilities of man. Strengthen our hearts in faith to give glory to God, who will most certainly perform ALL that He has promised. (Rom. 4:20-21) In Jesus’ name, amen.
Love, Dad