S186P7 – A promise is a promise: a hope secured
Rom. 5:1-5
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
There was nothing left to do but wait. She had gotten into her top school, and that was a great relief. Now, after enduring a week of tryouts and workouts, she had to wait for a panel of people who did not know her to decide whether she was good enough for the team. She already had taken a chance by rejecting scholarships and the guarantee of playing at one of the lower ranked schools because this was where she wanted to play. Things were a lot more competitive in this division, and she was not used to waiting in the wings for the call up. Ultimately, she would graduate from her dream school but never play on that team. A hope which had been built over years was dashed in one phone call.
We all hope for things in life for a variety of reasons. Sometimes our dreams and wishes are not that far away, and other times we might say that they are too much to hope for. The thing about hoping in this world is that we have no guarantees. We do what we can to make our dreams a reality, but we can do only so much, and it often is not in our hands to decide. With God, our hope is sure. He gives us a very specific hope to look forward to, and his word here tells us that this hope does not disappoint. It will be fulfilled, and that is a guarantee. We do not have to fear waiting a lifetime only to be left empty-handed. The dream of spending eternity in God’s presence is more than just a dream. We go through this process to produce a hope which will exceed every expectation we could possibly have.
When we dream about what the next stage of life holds for us, let us dream big. God’s word gives us such incredible imagery of what we can expect, and those are secure promises. Let us read of the marvelous things which await the children of God so that we would continue to build this great hope we have. Let us encourage one another with this hope, reminding our brothers and sisters that God will deliver on this and every promise. When we speak of everything that God has done for us, let us remember also to speak of everything He has taught us to hope for tomorrow and thereafter. Father, thank You that the hope we have in You is secure, and that there are even greater things in store for us.