What does it mean to hope in God? Is it just a feeling or perhaps something deeper? As we look at our study verse, let’s examine both ends of the spectrum: facing disappointment and resting in the hope in God.
John 11:21 (ESV)
“Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
Facing Disappointment
Have you ever felt like Martha, being disappointed, thinking that “if only God would have….”? We all have faced varying degrees of disappointment throughout our lives, so much so that we have learned to tolerate it, submerge it, and go on with life. But each disappointment hurts and leaves a lasting scar, some deeper than others.
Sometimes disappointments can fester into discouragement, to where we can easily begin to lose hope. As despair creeps upon us, deep depression can become a stark reality. So how do we stop this devastating chain of events? To answer this, we must take a good look at how we handle the first link in the chain—disappointment.
Consider this from Paul’s letter to the Romans:
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our
Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us (Romans 5:1-5).
We all live by hope. Disappointment occurs when hopes are not fulfilled, or when events do not turn out the way we want or expect. The future we dreamed of is shattered. And that’s the issue: our vision for the future versus God’s plan for us.
When we live under control of the flesh, our hopes are bound up in a temporal system of values and expectations. When we live under the control of our Lord, our hopes are surrendered to Him. As you read through the Bible, this is an oft-displayed concept (see Psalm 38:15; Titus 1:2; 2:13; 1 Corinthians 15:19).
Hope in God
Biblical hope is so much more than our everyday use of hope: I hear from many, many of my students saying “I hope I pass this exam”, or “I hope I pass this class”. Such hope is little more than a wish or an empty desire. On the other hand, biblical hope rests in certainty.
Our hope is in God—His Word. His character, His name, His promise. Such hope rests in the finished work of Jesus Christ. We do not find hope in our feelings, but in our knowledge of the revealed God incarnate, Jesus Christ.
Such hope overpowers disappointment and believes that God always works for our best in every circumstance. Paul certainly understood this, even in prison (Philippians 1:12; 19-20). Hope convinces us that every event of life will be used by God for our good (Romans 8:28).
Martha didn’t understand this, yet. She didn’t understand that Jesus delayed coming to see his dear friend on purpose so that God could be glorified through the raising of Lazarus from the dead.
Even as Christians, we will face disappointment. But for those who place their hope in Jesus Christ we learn that such a hope calms and evaporates our disappointment long before it can damage us.
As a parent, I am constantly concerned about how my daughter will deal with disappointments. Teaching her to rely on God is a priority as well as praying to God for her every single day. There is a wonderful resource I recommend for parents and grandparents entitled, “Setting Their Hope in GOD: Biblical Intercession For Your Children” by Andrew Case. You can find it here.
Hope Renewed: A 30-Day Journey on Biblical Hope
“Hope Renewed: A 30-Day Journey on Biblical Hope”, part of the 30-Day Journey Series, is the perfect devotional and study for individuals looking to deepen their understanding of the Bible. This 30-day Bible study includes reflections, passage studies, and sections for prayer and encouraging others. It is designed to bring readers closer to the Lord with meaningful insights on the theme of hope.
The passages featured in the study come from both the Old and New Testament, and each day of study includes a passage to meditate on, as well as questions to help the reader dive deeper into the Word. There are also sections for prayers, journaling, and encouraging others.
Paperback version available on Amazon!
Format: eBook with clickable tabs to navigate and fillable forms to complete each day’s journey and reflection.
Instant download!
