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Devotion for Saturday, March 28
HOPE OVER FEAR
What are you hoping for? A better paying job? A future mate? Perfect children? A winning lottery ticket? (I know - we Methodists don't gamble!) And we can all agree that we are hoping for an end to the Coronavirus pandemic!
We tend to use the term "hope" to refer to pipe dreams, wishful thinking, fantasies, and the like, but many of us don't actually understand what true "hope" is. Hope from a Biblical perspective is a belief grounded in faith and based upon the promises of a God who never lies and who always keeps His word.
Romans 5:3-5 says, "We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us because God has poured out His love in our hearts." Hope enables people to keep going long after they think they can because it holds promise of better days and brighter horizons. If we are still breathing, there is hope. God never withholds what is good from us, so we can have hope that He will provide what we need and He will sustain us through trials.
Current circumstances may try to keep us in bondage to fear and dread which can lead to discouragement, despair, and depression. But the God of hope wants to fill us with all joy and peace as we trust Him, so that we may overflow with hope.
We can let this time of "social distancing" get us down because we can't see our family and friends, or go to the mall. Or we can use this time to do things we have been putting off - like for me cleaning my garage or filling out the 2020 Census forms that I just received. (Ugh!) We can spend more time in prayer and devotional time. We can pray for our Brothers and Sisters and for our country. We shouldn't just sit and feel sorry for ourselves. We know deep in our hearts that God is good...all the time! Look expectantly to the Lord for deliverance and trust that He is fully capable of bringing it to pass.
May the hope of our Lord be with you today and remind you that in all things you are more than a conqueror through Christ Jesus! (Romans 8:37). Amen.
Pastor Ruth
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