Day 21 - A Hopeful Heart
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A Hopeful Heart - Allison Rutherford
I hope a lot of people read this devotional and feel encouraged by it.
I hope that someday my spouse and I will finally have a big, healthy family.
I hope that the pain I’m experiencing in my body will go away.
I hope that my broken heart will heal.
I hope I can find a job that I love instead of being stuck at one I hate.
I hope we will still be able to pay all of our bills now that I’m unemployed.
I hope that I can find the strength to overcome the insecurities I have in my life.
I hope this time next year, I won’t feel lonely anymore.
Do you see a pattern here? We are all hoping for something.
Hope is defined as a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.
Even if it’s not on this list, there is something we are all hoping for.
Biblical hope is different in that our hope is based on a person, which makes it much different from optimism, or what the world would describe as ‘hope’.
Biblical hope is not based on our constantly changing circumstances- it is based on the finality and sufficiency of Jesus. And contrary to what we might like to hear, the Bible reminds us that becoming a person of hope is often forged in us through moments - or sometimes seasons - of suffering.
Romans 5 reminds us that A hopeful heart is one that endures:
“And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”
Even after discovering the hope we have in Jesus, being a person of hope is much easier said than done. If we’re being honest with ourselves, we have all gone through seasons of suffering where it felt as though we were hanging on by a thread, and all hope was lost.
When we realize that the greatest tragedy of our lives is not that we will suffer, but the sin inside of us that is separating us from God, our perspective totally changes. While we are often ready to run away from our suffering, God is standing there with open arms, ready to embrace us in our hopelessness, and give us hope.
Our God is not one to provide temporary relief, make-shift solutions, or counterfeit love. He knows that eternal transformation is what we truly need, and in His kindness, He uses hardship to fight back against our sinful nature and produce hopeful, persevering hearts in us.
This is what grace looks like.
Our hope lies in the fact that we have not been forsaken, nor will we ever be.
God is always using our suffering to produce in us what we could not produce on our own.
So we know that suffering is inescapable… but the good news?
There is purpose in the pain.
Be encouraged - God does not let us suffer alone, or in vain - He uses it to draw us to Himself and to send us out to show others the hope that He has given us.
The suffering that produces perseverance and character is the same suffering that reminds us that this world is not our final home- we have the hope of an eternity spent with Jesus.
“Earth is bearable because there is hope. Hell is unendurable because all hope has fled. Heaven is eternal beauty because hope is there in radiant fulfillment.” ~ A.W. Tozer
Scripture Reading: Romans 5:1-9
Spiritual Practice
As you finish out the 21 Day Pursuit, write a reflection on what you have experienced.
Here are some questions to guide you:
What has God revealed and/ or spoken to you?
What was something that challenged you?
What was something that resonated with you?
Did you have a favorite day? Why?
What is your biggest takeaway from this journey?
Write out a prayer & ask God how you can continue to grow from this experience.
