Romans 15:11–13
11 And again: “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples!”
12 And again, Isaiah says: “There shall be a root of Jesse; And He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, In Him the Gentiles shall hope.”
13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand:
all other ground is sinking sand;
all other ground is sinking sand.
What is your hope built upon? Life is not all “peaches and cream.” Life can be difficult, demanding, and hard. Whoever said “life is not fair” is absolutely correct. What is the foundation you are building your life on? Anything other than Jesus is “sinking sand.”
A person who has not experienced the hope of Jesus in life has a difficult time sharing His hope with others. The Bible is filled with stories of those who endured hard times. Paul writes in Romans 15:4, “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.” It is in the darkness of distress the light of hope shines the brightest.
Hope is not passive. Hope does not wait for something to happen. Hope is active. Isaiah 40:31 “But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.”
Christianity is not passive. We are to be actively involved in doing what God has called and equipped us to do.
God says to Jeremiah, Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT), “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Difficult times are important in our lives. They are times of testing and building our strength to trust God. God has a plan and purpose for each of us. God is a God of hope, joy, and peace. Trust Him. Only God can take us through the dark valley to the top of the mountain.