May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. – Romans 15:13
Faith, hope, and love are an inseparable trio. We will ultimately place our faith or trust in whom or what we love most. Hope is the joyful and sure expectation of the fulfillment of our faith. Hope is a belief that is filled with emotive love. After all, you only joyfully anticipate receiving what you love.
We might say that we have faith in God, yet our temporal expectations reveal otherwise. We might say that we love God, but when a greater love is exposed and removed from our life, we may suddenly lash out in anger and unbelief. The point is that all three (faith, hope, and love) will be pointing in the same direction, and each can be a gauge of the object of the other two.
The demons “believe and shudder” at the truth of God’s person and power, yet there is no saving faith or love abiding within them, and they continue in utter hopelessness. (James 3) What a difference for us God’s children! We believe that based on the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ on our behalf, we will be with our ultimate Love eternally! We can faithfully endure hardships because we have a certain expectation that God is using these circumstances to change us into the image of our Love. We have hope that we will be reunited with loved ones who have graduated into eternity ahead of us.
This doesn’t mean that we won’t sorrow over earthly losses. We will mourn here on earth out of deep pain. Jesus Himself said in John 16:33, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
That is the difference between sorrowing with true hope and sorrowing in hopelessness. God gives us abiding peace and joy even as our earthly bodies groan in anticipation of Christ’s return (2 Corinthians 5:4). We know what is to come, and we can rest securely in His promises. In our lament, our hearts are drawn closer to God, and we find comfort in His presence. We can hope in the promise that God will make all things right, even when our emotions are exploding in different directions within us.
Dwell on the incredible hope you have through Jesus Christ. What are some of the precious promises He has given? How do these promises give you the courage to continue joyfully serving God through trials?
PRAISE: Praise God for the hope of eternal life through Jesus Christ and the glory that you will experience at His coming.
THANKSGIVING: Thank God for the blessed hope and faithful promises found in His Word.
CONFESSION: Ask God to fix your hope firmly in Him. Ask God’s Spirit to reveal misplaced trust in that which cannot save or restore.
FURTHER STUDY: Breathe in the truth of God’s Word relating to the hope we have in Him. Breathe out your response to Him in prayer based on what His Spirit has revealed to you.
Romans 5:1-5; 1 Peter 1:3-9; Titus 1:2; Colossians 3:1-4; 1 Timothy 1:1; Psalm 43; Psalm 146
Additional Resources
The following printable resources are taken from the 30 Days of Thanksgiving devotional available from Amazon. You’ll also find daily gratitude journaling resources below which are taken from the Every Good Gift journal also available from Amazon.