Such Hope,...

   Lately, it seems that many of my family members and close friends have been struggling with a lack of hope. Just this last weekend, I sat down with two friends on two separate occasions and listened as they discussed their struggles with hope. Life and its negativity were slowly eating away at their emotional, spiritual, and physical health. I watched as they cried in frustration at the problems in their life. I listened as they listed the things coming against them and their families. They felt like hope had disappointed them; that it had left them standing with the proverbial bill.
In Romans chapter 5, it says ¹ Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have^[a] peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ² through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. ³ And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; ⁴ and perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Read verses 3-5 again.
The Amplified Version reads this way:

3)Moreover [let us also be full of joy now!] let us exult and triumph in our troubles and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that pressure and affliction and hardship produce patient and unswerving endurance. 4) And endurance (fortitude) develops maturity of [a]character (approved faith and [b]tried integrity). And character [of this sort] produces [the habit of] [c]joyful and confident hope of eternal salvation. 5) Such hope never disappoints or deludes or shames us, for God's love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us.

  We need to stop seeing our problems as horrible occurrences. Life problems and issues are opportunities to grow. Like everyone else, I have problems and situations that I would rather not experience. BUT each problem was learning, growing time in my life. If I hadn't gone through _____, I would have never learned _____. When in the middle of a trial we tend to be blind to the rewards to be gained from the trial. Yes, the trial is terrible and heart-crushing. It tears at our emotions. We struggle to stay upright. But like a tree during a storm, our roots will sink deeper. We will become stronger.


   We will build character which will produce a strong, "joyful and confident hope."
This type of reinforced hope will carry us through any trial or storm. This secure hope recognizes the briefness of the storm and will give us the endurance needed to get through it. This hope can't be disappointed. It knows and reassures us of the Greatness of our Creator. We can glory in the Bigger, Unseen Plan, knowing it is for our good.

Such hope never disappoints,...