The thing about hope and confidence

Rejoice in our confident hope. 
Be patient in trouble and keep on praying. Romans 12:12

Reading this verse for the month of August transported me back to February.   I was struggling with the definition of hope, and how exactly its defined in a Christian's life.

As I was learning through the darkness of that winter, it all matters what you place your hope in.


Where is your confident hope?

Your home?  Your job?  Your family?  Your bank account?

If you are answering even just a little 'yes' to one of those, your hope should not be all that confident.

Sorry.

There is only one place where we can place true confident hope.

Confidence: the feeling or belief that one can rely on someone or something; firm trust
 
Hope: to desire with expectation of obtainment

Only One place where we can place our belief that we can rely on them with firm trust and the expectation that they WILL deliver what they promise.

You know where I am going with this?

At times, when there are crazy things going on and disturbing events that just don't make sense, it can be hard to think that God's going to pull this one off. 

But, the verse above does not say, "Rejoice in our confident hope, there is no need to be patient because everything is going to work out perfectly for you the first time and there is no need to pray because everything is going so well all the time."

 In His word, Jesus tells us that we will have trials.  Bummer.  But He follows it up with something that should give us all confident hope:  He has overcome the world.

 All this stuff?  It's not going to matter.

 All this getting ahead?  It's not going to get you anywhere.

 But placing your hope in Jesus?  The Author and Finisher of our Faith?  It is there that you can find confidence.

 And just so we don't get discouraged, His Word reminds us to keep praying.  Be patient with the trials that you are facing.  Knowing that they are only for a season.  And even if that season is lifelong, you've got something better waiting for you if you have placed your hope in Jesus.

 And you can be CONFIDENT about that.

To read more posts in the Romans 12 series, click here.
 

 

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