Amanda BethSharing the Truths Behind the TRUTH

Apr 25th Monday’s Blog: Love Always Hopes

We are nearing the end of our series on love as described in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Christian Times Online started running this series if you want to follow it from the beginning. Click on the titles to take you to the first two blogs: “Love Is Patient” and “Love Is Kind.”

This week we move on to hope.

What are you placing your hope in? Are you placing it in your job or your bank account? Are you placing it in your spouse or your children? Are you placing it in your beauty or your material possessions?

To put our hope in something means we need it to make us happy. If our hope is in our job and we lose it, we also lose our hope. If our hope is in our spouse and they leave us, our hope leaves with them. If our hope is in our beauty and it fades, our hope fades with it.

All our hope needs to be in God because He is the only one who can make us happy.

Romans 5:5 says, “And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.”

God’s love never disappoints us. But have you ever been disappointed in God? I know I have.

In the past, I would get disappointed if I trusted God to answer a prayer and He didn’t. I would get disappointed if I obeyed Him and didn’t see the right results. I would get disappointed if I was hit with a trial and He didn’t rescue me.

I thought my hope was in God, but I was often disappointed in Him. I soon realized I wasn’t placing my hope in Him. I was placing it in my own expectations of Him.

For example, when God first called me to write my book, I expected to write it and publish it right away. I was often disappointed when I was rejected by agents in the beginning. I thought if God told me to write a book He would open all the doors. It took awhile to see He was opening the doors; they just weren’t the ones I was knocking at. I wanted Him to do it my way. I didn’t like some of the doors He wanted me to go through. They often led to trials, lessons, and hard work.

Now looking back, those trials are what I needed to prepare me for what is ahead. Had all my hope been in God’s plan for me, I could have enjoyed those times instead of being disappointed.

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” Romans 12:12

Thinking positive, praising God, and communing with Him, keeps our hopes up. It helps us stay joyful while waiting on God to fulfill our desires.

Proverbs 13:12 says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.”

I’ve experienced this verse many times in my life. Once was when I had to go back to work a few years after having our first child. I was devastated to go back and even tried to avoid it. I frequently asked God why He wasn’t providing for me to stay home.

As I had more children I kept praying for God to help me afford to quit. I tried all I could to stay happy and be a good employee while waiting on God to answer my request. But as the years went by I started losing hope and fell into depression. Losing hope made my heart sick.

As I clung to God, He brought me out of depression and opened the door for me to stay home. As I looked back I could see His provision was there all along. Through those years, God was working with us on our finances so we could afford one income. He was also working in me during that time. He was teaching me to be faithful even when it hurts. He was teaching me to trust Him even when I wasn’t seeing results. He was teaching me to be happy even when there wasn’t anything to rejoice in.

During those years I learned valuable lessons I wouldn’t trade now for anything. More importantly, I learned my prayers were answered the moment I requested them. I just didn’t see it until after I received it.

God answers our prayers, we just don’t see all the behind the scenes work He does to prepare for that answer. We have to remember His ways are far beyond ours. We only see what is in front of our eyes. God sees above and beyond. He sees the final outcome, which is why He asks us to place our hope in Him. We will have nothing to be disappointed about when all our hope is in Him.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13

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**Something to think about this week**

I want to encourage you to place your hope in God. Don’t focus on your outward circumstances. Face each trial with joy as you hope in Him. Cling to Him. Praise Him. And remember to be faithful even when you’re not seeing any results.

But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has?

Romans 8:24

Have a blessed week in Christ!

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**Come back next Monday as I share more of God’s Truths and the reasons behind the Truths.

All Bible verses are taken from the NIV, unless otherwise noted.