Sunday, September 28, 2008

Hope does not disappoint

I've been struggling lately. I've been struggling with feeling disappointed in people. When you're close to someone, you think you know them. Then something happens and you realize you don't know them as well as you thought. Then you wonder if you were ever really close to them to begin with. And that's when your mind starts to mess with you. You over analyze everything they've said, you've said. You begin to lose confidence in them and in the process begin to lose confidence in yourself. But before you reach the point of despair, God whispers a reminder of His hope. He whispers through the smile of a stranger, the determination of a child, the encouragement of a friend, the embrace of a loved one. He turns your perspective upside down and while reminding you of his hope, He also points out that your feeling of disappointment in others is actually a reflection of your heart towards Him. And it hits you like a ton of bricks. If we put our hope in people, of course they're going to let us down, but when we put our hope in Him we are never disappointed.

"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." Romans 5:1-5

4 comments:

Lyryn said...

You have no idea how I needed to hear that today. I love you!

Ruth Witmer said...

Amen!

The Life of Susan said...

well said. i needed to hear that. thank you!

Grammy Jean said...

Right on!