Daily Encouragement: Year 2, Day 76
From Handbook to God’s Promises
GOD’S LOVE FOR ME
How to Hope
Read Romans 5:5–8
The yard is set for an outdoor wedding reception in June. But before the guests arrive, the clouds turn ominous, and a light sprinkle of rain begins to fall. By the time the bride and groom arrive, the area is engulfed in a full downpour, turning the yard into a mud pit. The bride’s father, smiling maniacally, gets behind the microphone and says, “Welcome, welcome everyone! We’re looking forward to a great time of dining, dancing, and conversation tonight. Let’s begin the celebration by . . .” The guests look at each other and shake their heads.
Perhaps you know such a person, one who refuses to acknowledge the “bad” that appears plain to everyone else. We call these people optimists, people who “hope for the best.” Their hope is often grounded on little more than a dislike or denial of reality.
What’s the difference between the father’s optimism and the hope that Paul writes about? Hope is based on more than a wish or preference. Anyone can say, “I wish things would turn out for the best,” or “I prefer that things turn out for the best.” But to truly have hope, one must be able to say, “I know things will turn out for the best.” That level of confidence leaves even the sunniest optimist confused and shaking his or her head. Who could possibly know that things will always turn out for the best? The apostle Paul tells us who: the person who knows the love of God.
True biblical hope, Paul says, never disappoints. We have hope at all times—even in bad times—because the Holy Spirit has made known to the believer in Christ the constant, unconditional love of the God of the universe. Why is this hope more plausible than merely having an optimistic attitude? Because it is rooted in the historical, space-and-time death of Jesus Christ on a hill outside Jerusalem in AD 30. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
God loves you! He has proven that love, and He invites you to have hope today—hope that is unshakably grounded in His reality. Graduate from optimism to realism and know that everything will turn out for your best (Romans 8:28).
God’s Promise: If your hope is in Him, you will never be disappointed.