Keeping Hope Alive: The Glory That Leads To Giving More Glory

“Since then it is by faith that we are justified, let us grasp the fact that we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have confidently entered into this new relationship of grace, and here we take our stand, in happy certainty of the glorious things he has for us in the future.

This doesn't mean, of course, that we have only a hope of future joys - we can be full of joy here and now even in our trials and troubles. Taken in the right spirit these very things will give us patient endurance; this in turn will develop a mature character, and a character of this sort produces a steady hope, a hope that will never disappoint us. Already we have some experience of the love of God flooding through our hearts by the Holy Spirit given to us”. (J. B. Phillips Translation)

James 1:2 tells us to count it all joy when we face trials of many kinds. The NIV bible translates this verse as "consider it pure joy". The CSB calls it "great joy", the NAS 1977 calls it "all joy" and the NET states it is "nothing but joy". In this year that is soon to be over, many people all over the world have not been able to find any kind of joy. This year we have lived in fear, pain, sorrow and despair because of COVID-19, racial unrest, economic devastation and the knowledge that the average person is getting poorer while the rich are getting richer.

We have seen our government turn its back on the citizens most in need of help and assistance just to be able to have a place to live and food on their tables. We have watched the leader of this country, the richest and most powerful nation in the world destroy alliances with other nations, lie, cheat, and steal to line his pockets and the pockets of his family and friends. We have watched him play golf amid all this suffering rather than do the job he was elected to do. We have watched as he has abdicated his authority to do what he has the power to do and then claim he takes no responsibility for the outcome if it does not bring him praise and glory. Yet, for all that is going on around us, we can hold on to hope, for better days are ahead. We may not know when. We may not know how, but we know, as the old saints used to say, "that trouble don't last always", but the question many are asking in these difficult days is how can I keep hope alive?

In Psalm 42:5 the psalmist asks "Why are you cast down O my soul”? The answer to the question is, hope in God. Our scripture text tells us that we keep our hope alive because we have the knowledge that since we are justified, or made right with God by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ and through Him, we also have access to His grace and because we have these promises we can rejoice in the hope of the glory of God no only for the future, but in the here and now. However, we know that while suffering, trials and tribulations are a fact of life for every person on the planet, we can give glory to God as we go through the valleys or climb the rough side of a mountain knowing that as we are being refined by fire that God is using our trials to mold us and shape our character. And as our character is being divinely developed, we will be able to maintain a steady hope that will never disappoint us because we know that God is working all things for our good (Romans 8:28). We know that even in the time of a pandemic, Christ won't fail us. Look around you, God has been a hedge and a fence all around you protecting and keeping you from all hurt, harm and danger.

We know that because we are the children of the Most High God, even the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us (Romans 8:18). We know that if God is for us, nothing, no one and no devil in hell can come against us and win (Romans 8:31). We know that nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus; not a pandemic, unemployment, hunger or lack of leadership in high places. We can keep hope alive because we are more that conquerors (Romans 8:35, 37).

So then, since we have this hope, we can believe and trust that God's plan will be accomplished in all of the situations that are going on in this country and in the world, we can stand and confidently declare like the Apostle Paul, that we are persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing shall be able to separate us from the love, the care and the protection that we have in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38-39).

Saints of God, this is how we glory in our trials and tribulations. We stand flat-footed, trusting and praising God just like Paul and Silas did when they were chained in the darkest and lowest part of the prison. We cry out to God like David did in so very many psalms and when we get to the point where we believe all is lost, we too can tell all those who think we should curse God and die, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him" (Job 2:9, 13:15). The knowledge of God's grace, love and goodness to us even in times like these is what keeps us holding on and will enable us to keep hope alive in the dark and dangerous days to come. Therefore family, continue to be grounded in God's Word and growing in His Grace. Learn to glory in your tribulations for it is through that glory that we become even more Committed to Giving God More Glory for the great things He has done and for what He will do in and through us.