Hope Matters

2 Corinthians 1:8-10, “For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us. On Him we have set our hope that He will deliver us again.”

A better understanding of God’s Will can drastically change how you face the trials of life. Just look at Abraham; a man who hadn’t had much experience in the faithfulness of God, and he really didn’t understand the promises of God all that well, but we read in Romans 4:20-24 that “Abraham never wavered in believing God's promise.” In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this, he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever He promises. And because of Abraham's faith, God counted him as righteous. And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn't just for Abraham's benefit. It was recorded for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in the one who raised Jesus from the dead.

We could continue to look into the lives of many people we read about in Scriptures who really didn’t have much to go on, but they had faith. Hebrews 11 might be summed up as a list of people who endured some horrific situations because they had hope in a promise that they didn’t even fully understand.

Hope happens to be the theme of the Bible: hope of salvation, hope of eternal life, hope of forgiveness, and hope of purpose. But what is hope exactly? A feeling of expectation, a desire for something yet to come. 

For Paul, the reminder of new life made possible because Jesus returned from the grave was enough to motivate him to endure many trials. Although we may not face the trials that Paul experienced, they are still trials that test us. The result will either be stronger faith or weaker faith. Paul’s prayer for the Thessalonians was that their trials wouldn’t snuff out their faith, but make it bolder.

The truth is that is not normal. Our human nature will often cause us to get angry, discouraged, or depressed when trials rattle our cage. Yet, we’re not living according to the human nature, but the spiritual one.

In the verse above, Paul expresses how the trials of life can push us closer to God if our mind is focused. A quick reminder to us is that God is in control, so quit trying to micromanage Him. Instead, humbly make it your aim to talk of Him and His promises often. Learn to be content in the circumstance you’re in. Pray as if you really believed that HE is our savior, and not ourselves. Then keep your eyes on the promise God made long ago to those who trust in Him – eternal life.

Satan works hard at distracting us from that, but God (who cannot lie) wants us to “set our minds on things above, not things below” (Colossians 3:2).