After reading the previous blog posted by Nicole Whitacre, I am able to completely relate to having fears that overwhelm my thoughts and paralyze me spiritually. Even though I am not a mother, there are fears of my own that take on a similar power.
Now that we are looking ahead to 2011, there are fears and hopes inside us all – countless questions in our heads.
Something I have to confess is that often when a desire for 2011 crosses my mind, I disregard it. I don’t want to hope in something because I cannot handle the thought of being disappointed. Hope is vulnerable. Being as pessimistic as possible seems to be a MUCH safer route, right?
But then of course, I get smacked in the face with the truth of Proverbs 13:12 “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.” (ESV)
What do you do with that?? Do you DARE to hope? How do you know that a desire will be fulfilled? What if it’s not fulfilled?
Then there is Psalm 20:4 “May he grant you your heart’s desire and fulfill all your plans!”
Psalm 37:4-5, “Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.”
This is the Word of God! Our Father is a God of hope, He is a God of desires.
Psalm 119:81, “My soul longs for your salvation; I hope in your word.”
Psalm 39:7, “And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you.”
Sometimes the things that we fear feel far more tangible than the hope that scripture is calling us to have.
Our God is not a God of fluffy-puff comfort, though. May that not be mistaken! Job had to cry out in chapter 13 verse 15: “Though he slay me, I will hope in him…”
God often calls us to a refiner’s fire. We may perhaps experience great sorrow in 2011. But no matter what we SEE in front of us, even if the pain is more real than the hope at the present time, there is more that we cannot see: “…Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” (Romans 24-25)
Yahweh is still our comfort in all trials – 2 Corinthians 1:3-11. We share in affliction as we share in comfort through Jesus Christ.
And in the trial itself we remember: “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church,” (Colossians 1:24). We can know that suffering is a joy for it is fulfilling Christ’s death, bringing Him glory, and furthering the Kingdom.
All this to say, there is no reason to fear hope. Hope that is Jesus Christ conquers even death. Our Father has great things ahead for His glory. But EVEN IF our life is full of tribulation (which we are actually guaranteed), we need not ever succumb to fear. God has not given us a spirit of fear. Let us hope in what is bigger than us.
“And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Romans 5:5 (NASB)
Hannah Griffin is a freshman in the College at SEBTS. She is pursuing a degree in English. Hannah attends Green Pines Baptist Church in Knightdale, NC. She works at Dick's Sporting Goods, and enjoys chapel choir here at SEBTS, and hopes to be a part of the intramural sports this semester!
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