Since the beginning of time, mankind has been wrapped up in a hope that disappoints. Do you know what it is? It is hope in finding fulfillment, meaning, and significance apart from God. It started with Adam and Eve when they decided they wanted to live autonomous lives, apart from the grace, goodness, and glory of God. And men and women have been doing the same thing ever since. When your hope is in anything smaller than God is will always disappoint. Self-sufficiency makes a poor savior. So what is the hope that does not disappoint? The Apostle Paul tells us.
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
(Romans 5:1-5)
Make no mistake; if what you have been hoping in is disappointing you, it is the wrong hope. Nothing in this world can do for you what only Jesus can do. If your hope is in your career, you have the wrong hope. If your hope is in your education, you have the wrong hope. If your hope is in your network, you have the wrong hope. If your hope is in your next business deal, you have the wrong hope. If your hope is in your gifting, you have the wrong hope. If your hope is in the applause of man, you have the wrong hope. If your hope is in your marriage, you have the wrong hope. If your hope is in your children, you have the wrong hope. Hope that created things will do for you what only the Creator can provide is utterly hopeless!
Paul made it crystal clear that when we hope in God we are never disappointed. You see, when you place your hope in something you are connecting your identity to it. What you place your hope in provides you with your meaning, significance, purpose, and ultimate identity in life. Your hope is your savior, regardless of what you are hoping in. That is why hope in anything smaller than God will always disappoint you. Only God is big enough to satisfy your deepest needs, meet you in the middle of your darkest night, and deliver you from a meaningless existence from the cradle to the grave.
To hope is to be human. We all need hope and we all place our hope in something. Therefore, we all need to make sure we are hoping in the right thing!
So what have you been hoping in lately? Has your hope been unable to deliver? Has your hope been unable to meet you in your place of deepest need?
Scripture tells us that when our hope is in God, something counterintuitive happens. Our hope does not disappoint us, even in the middle of a season of suffering. Most people think hope is connected to painless providences. Not Paul. He knew firsthand that his hope would not disappoint, even in the middle of suffering. Why? Because His Savior was his hope and his Savior was in the middle of his suffering. Paul did not need blue skies and sunshiny days to have hope, because his hope was in the only One who is worth hoping in: Jesus Christ.
This is the gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!
Grace for the Race 