Forward Looking

Romans 15:13

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.  

How often we have said, “I hope…”

Hope in this context is akin to wishes.  It is about something that you desire but are not really sure that it will occur.  

With this verse, we get another meaning for “Hope.”

Hope is a way of facing the future, often in the face of uncertainty or adversity, with a positive outlook, even with expectation.  It has nothing to do with results but instead focuses on our feelings.  It should make you ask how you look at the future when things are tough? Is it with fear and anxiety, seeing all the difficulties ahead? Or, can you look forward with a sense of optimism knowing that you are not alone.  You know God is with you and no matter what, you have everything you need.  This is the Hope that God offers and that gift can and does bring us peace and even, at times, joy even in the midst of difficult times.  

I was taught what this hope looked like many years ago.  I was visiting a woman who suffered from a chronic and debilitating disease.  She had had more surgeries than she could remember and was pretty much bedfast and always in pain, even with medication.  I would go to comfort her and invariably found I was uplifted.  Our conversations were filled with the joys she was experiencing that day, a card from a friend, a new bird at the feeder outside her window, an extra special dessert and so on.  

One day I asked her why she never talked about her health. She said something very profound that I have carried with me.  She said, “You have a choice as to what to focus on. It does me no good to talk about my health. It is what it is and nothing is going to change it. It that were my focus my days would be long and dreary. Instead I choose to focus on all that is good that is still happening each day in my life.  It allows me to look forward in anticipation.” 

This is the power of hope. It is a reminder that no matter what we are experiencing we are never going through it alone. That presence of God gives us power, peace and often joy. It isn’t about getting my wishes granted but about facing each day with joy and and confident expectancy for what God will do.  

Let us pray. 

God of hope, sometimes we feel lost and afraid, We are not at peace. At those times let your spirit rest on us anew.  Fill us with peace.  Remind us you are with us and help us to feel joy at what you are doing and with hop look forward to what is yet to come.  AMEN.  

This devotional was written by Bill Green and read by Joey Smith.  

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.  

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First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world.  We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.