This week, I have been reading in the book of Romans. Last night, I came across a verse that was like a sparkling star waiting for me to read.
And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his
love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
Romans 5:5
Let me go back to a few months ago in my life. Through the month of December I kept hearing people say their hope was is in Christ Jesus. I remember questioning and thinking on what that meant exactly. I had basically concluded this: If I tell Jesus what I hope for, He would give to me. As I was at Passion, I kept hearing to put your hope in Christ Jesus. Thinking I already knew what it meant, I was confident and excited because I had already told Him my hopes. He was going to give me what I was hoping for (and at this time in my life, I had my hope on something specific). Well a few hours later, a feeling inside me kept saying I needed to re-look at what it meant. I did not know how to though. I kept praying I would understand though and that Jesus would teach me His meaning. I did not fully understand the entire meaning as I left Passion, and Christ did not stop working within me to understand it. I so badly wanted to be able to say "My hope is in Christ Jesus." Well as I got back to school, He was still explaining it to me each day. It was about two weeks into the semester, that it all concluded to me. Here is what He told me:
"Put your hope in Me Kathryn. Put your Hope in Me alone. Do not put your hope in friends, boys, materialistic. All of those things are unstable and insecure. I am secure. I am stable. They will not bring you satisfaction. I will bring you satisfaction. Let the desire of your heart be the desires I have for you."
When He told me all this, I was thrilled! I texted my small group leader, "My hope is in Jesus!" I knew what it meant. Hope does not disappoint us. This made me think back through all the times my hope had disappointed me. Because it was my hope, for my desires. He wants our desires to be His desires. He wants us to put our hope in His desires. Let me be the one to tell you, if we keep on going day to day thinking our own desires are His desires then we will keep feeling disappointed. God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit. We are filled with His love in our hearts. His love is everlasting. Let His love bring us comfort and satisfaction. His love is stable, His love is secure. It will not leave us nor will it harm us.
By the way- what I was hoping for at the beginning of Passion, Jesus did not have occur. But thats okay, it is great actually... because His desires are bringing me satisfaction and joy everyday. The thing I was hoping in, only would end up letting me down one day.
And listen to the song Hope Now on my playlist to the right, by Addison Road... it is great!
If you are one reading this confused about the word hope like I was... pray! Keep on praying and ask Christ to reveal to you what it means. And what it means to hope in Him. He wants to tell you! Let Him, ask Him!
If you already understand this, lets start praying for the ones who don't! Lets pray for the ones around us who are like I was, confused and lost in my own meaning of hope.
Let our hope be lost within Christ Jesus.