The End of Hope

Did the title of this week's blog throw you?  In reading the title, did you immediately expect a topic of gloom?  Good.  I did that on purpose.  I wanted to get your mind ready for the journey of words God took me on this week.  It's powerful!  And, God in His infinite wisdom knew I would need to be encouraged today.  So, He encouraged me as I was studying to encourage you!

You see, the blog this week was actually to be about forgiveness...or so I thought. 
I started studying on forgiveness, and that study led to hope.  And, boy did I ever need this study today!  Today was a rough day of uncertainty, tears, prayer, anger, and doubt for me.  But, as I completed the study on hope today (that I began last week), I am so thankful the Holy Spirit knows what I do not, and leads me where He will, and honors my obedience...

In my initial study of forgiveness, I came across these verses.  Romans 5:3-5 states, "Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." 

Simple enough to understand, right? But as I read, and re-read this scripture, words began popping out at me. Words like, "rejoice" and "suffering" and "produces" and "perseverance" and "character" and "hope".  I started thinking, "Rejoice in suffering?  Seriously?"  Then I thought, "Wait, this looks like some sort of hierarchy or timeline or stages or something.  One thing "produces" another thing, and the end result is hope.  But, wait!  Suffering BEGINS the process!"  Whoa, back up!  Hope is preceded by suffering??!!

Thus began my word study of the "journey of hope."  I won't give you all the definitions I discovered, but I'll give you the ones which stood out for me...SUFFERING (to submit to or be forced to endure; bear) produces PERSEVERANCE (steadfastness which in turn means immovable; not subject to change, firm in belief) which produces CHARACTER (one of the attributes or features that make up & distinguish an individual; main or essential nature; position; reputation; moral excellence and firmness) which produces HOPE (verb - to desire with expectation of obtainment; to expect w/ confidence; to trust; noun - trust; desire accompanied by expectation of fulfillment or success).

Now here's the main thing God needed me to know and to now share with you. Notice hope is a verb and a noun.  When you see hope in scripture from now on, look to see if it is used as a noun or a verb. It makes a difference. 

Let me pause here.  Did you catch all that?  Being forced to bear or endure something (suffering) produces  your being immovable or firm in your belief (perseverance) which in turn distinguishes you as an individual, your position, reputation, and moral excellence (character) which in turn produces either an action of hoping (desiring with an expectation of obtainment; trusting; expecting with confidence) or a state of hope (trust, desire coupled with an expectation of success). 

If you have lost hope because of some situation, there is a stagnation in one of the process steps.  Ask God's help in moving through the stages.  Is there suffering that you cannot move beyond which is shaking your faith? Are you tossed "to and fro" in your faith (perseverance) which is affecting your understanding of who you are in Christ (character) which in turn is keeping you from trusting in an all-knowing, all-powerful God (hope)?

That is why vs. 5 says the end result of hope does not disappoint us. God, through the indwelling Holy Spirit, has poured his love for us into our hearts!  So there should never be an end of hope (the point where something ceases to exist) because the end of hope (purpose) is trust in Christ, His return, and heaven (which, because of the stages, also means the end result of suffering, perseverance, and characer is also trust in Christ, His return, and heaven)! Everything else will definitely pass away!

**see also Ps 25:21; Ps. 31:24; I Thess. 1:3; Heb. 6:19; Heb. 10:23; Heb. 11:1, I John 3:3***

I pray this encourages you salt!