I hope this won’t last.
I hope my situation changes soon.
I hope you’re right.
We hope for many things, but there is one thing we should hope for above all else.
That is hope itself.
H – Holding
O – Onto
P – Promised
E – Eternity
When we hold onto the hope that God is in control, that He is with us, and that His love is unfailing and unending, then everything else falls into perspective. Whatever happens in this broken world (and things will happen) pales in comparison to what lies ahead for those who believe in Christ’s sacrifice, death, and resurrection.
That may sound like a trite, pat answer but I can tell you from personal experience it has been my lifeline as I dangled over bubbling tar pits of poor health, financial insecurity, a broken marriage, a child not expected to survive several surgeries, and the deaths of loved ones.
As a close friend of mine once said, “The Bible says ‘this, too shall pass.’ Thank goodness it doesn’t say, ‘this, too shall stay.'” That is hope.
Good days and bad days all last the same amount of time–twenty-four hours. Trials never last, though at times they seem like they will never end. The love of God, for those who believe, outlasts anything else.
Paul stated in his letter to the Philippians that he had learned to be content no matter the circumstances (4:11-12). He wrote that while in a Roman prison not knowing how much longer he’d have before he was fed to the wild beasts or hung on a cross like his Savior. Even so, Paul had hope because he knew without a doubt what lay ahead for him beyond this life.
Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord. Psalm 31:24
If you need to hang onto anything, dear friend, hang onto hope. Never let go.
Where Did You Find God Today? 