Hope
Think about these qualities. Patience, meekness, humility and total surrender.
Patience is produced through trials and tribulations. Romans 5:3-5 say, “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us” (KJV). Patience through tribulations builds experience. Every trial we go through adds experience to our list of knowledge based endings. When we go through a trial and the outcome or ending is worst the first. We should have learned to try something different. When we go through a tribulation, with Jesus as our focus, knowing that all things, good and bad, work together for our good, we can look at the situation and say Lord, what am I supposed to learn from this trial? When we come out the other side in victory with Jesus, it builds a positive experience. We will say “I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me.” This also gives us hope to go through the next trial in life with patience. You will also realize God loves you and will get you through life’s experiences, no matter what they are.
Meekness is strength under control. Jesus is our example. He could have called legions of angels to fight His battles. He had more strength then any army on earth. Yet, He kept all that power under control. He so loved the world that He willingly went to the cross for the joy of offering you salvation. Another example is a horse. A horse has much power, but with the right rider on its back the horse is turned this way and that way. It can be led to pull wagons and plow fields. It is strength that is greater than our own, but it is controlled to produce a proper effect.
Humility is knowing that you are not the greatest or most important thing on earth. In the whole scheme of things, you are but a flash of light in eternity past, present and future. Think soberly about yourself and see yourself from God’s point of view. Then grab hold of His good news. The plan of salvation. Don’t stop there, walk with Him the rest of your days to get the best results out of life, for with Christ I can do all things. Without Him I can do nothing. Think about this. If a thousand years is like a day to God, (this is concerning His promises, He can remember His promises over a thousand years as if it were just yesterday. His love still shines through as He has not forgotten His New Covenant even in this wicked world.). But let’s use it as a time period a thousand years as one day. This would mean a life span of about 80 years would be about 2 hours. So cannot you be good for two hours? When you realize you cannot then stay humble and call out to Jesus. He can help you.
Finally, surrendering. It usually comes at a turning point in life’s journey. I knew I could not do it on my own, I just did not want to admit it (almost humble). But now I have nowhere else to turn. At the bottom, you cannot get any lower, you may be able to go sideways, but it is like wallowing in the mire. It is still the bottom. There is only one way to look for help and that is up. O, God help me from myself. Total surrender will lift you up and keep you going because God can exalt the humble. The prodigal son is our Biblical example. “And when he came to himself, he said, “How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!” (Luke 15:17 KJV) He came to himself at his lowest low in a pig pen almost ready to eat the slop. He was starting to move sideways when he looked up and came to himself. He was ready to totally surrender and ask for his father’s forgiveness and was even willing to just be a slave of his father’s household. “I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants” (Luke 15:18-19 KJV). Total surrender to his father was the best thing he could have done. Because his father could exalt the humble. After the prodigal son confessed to his father, he said to his servants, “Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry” (Luke 15:22-24 KJV).
Total surrender to God will begin a lifestyle of hope through patience, meekness, and humility. Put on the new man, walk with God and begin to live life the way God intended it to be in love, faith and hope.
In Christ,
Greg