Words of Hope: The Miracle of Hope
I have been praying about a few life situations for a long time. It’s easy to begin to feel discouraged because there remains no answer.
I think of my mom praying years for her dad to become a Christian. She held so tenaciously to the prayer; patiently, steadfastly asking God daily, until one day her father prayed to accept Christ.
I think of the deep ache in my spirit for an answer to my prayer – a relief from this unfulfilled longing. As I pray, I write out the verse I memorized from Romans, “We also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulations bring about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint.”
I stop and consider what defines proven character. I usually have thought about proven character being my own, but I also consider that “Proven character” can refer to God and His faithfulness. God can be trusted. God follows through and offers me His character, His spirit abiding in me to live out the qualities of proven character.
It includes the beautiful promise of this line, “Hope does not disappoint!”
Hope is not wishful thinking but the firm assurance that below all desolation, Christ is moving. Dad had to find this hope after his prayers for his mom’s healing ended in disappointment. It’s the hope needed to help make bearable the deep pain a friend is suffering after the tragic death of her fiancé. It is the assurance needed when navigating cancer, when helping a parent die, when an answer to prayer is delayed or does not come.
This is the fruit of hope – the assurance that the God of all consolation understands suffering and can use any situation regardless how bleak for good.
“All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.” – Julian of Norwich
