Emphatic Hope

"Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.  Romans 5:3-5  (NIV)

Hope is one of those words that fills my heart.  Hope is different than a wish.  Hope comes with a level of confidence.  For instance, I wish I would win the lottery.  Knowing the odds are not in my favor, I hope that whoever does will be generous with the money.  I have a level of confidence with the second statement than I do with the first.  Hope can be powerful.

Hope can show up in many different situations.  We certainly hope to feel better when we get sick.  Yet, when situations cry for something deeper, it moves to a more emphatic hope, the type of hope that we see in our verses today.  There is much suffering that comes with the hope we have here. 

It's the hope that a prisoner of war may have.  Going through such suffering, yet doesn't give up - they persevere.  Through that perseverance, their character is built.  With that level of character, there is hope - hope that they will once again see their families.  With all of that comes a strengthening of faith.  A man who emulates this profoundly was Senator John McCain.  He was a man who lived out the verses above to its fullest.  His quiet yet profound faith in God walked him through all the stages of suffering, perseverance, character and hope.  Through that faith, he continued to serve our country.  His emphatic hope was rooted in knowing that God's love was in him. 

I am certain we all know people who have this level of emphatic hope.  Maybe they served our country and had other challenges.  Maybe one who suffered greatly with surgery or cancer.  Maybe one who struggled growing up with relational issues.  Maybe one who made poor choices and suffered greatly for them.  Yet with a strong faith in God and knowing how much God loves them, they continued on a journey of emphatic hope.  This hope is knowing, confidently and profoundly that God will be there with us and bring us to the path that we are intended to be on.  

Emphatic hope is not something we can have on our own - it comes with the love of God through the Holy Spirit.  It provides us the reassurance that "My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus' love and righteousness."  As we end this study of Romans 5, I am quite certain that we have, and will continue to have, times of suffering.  When those times come our way, may we settle a little deeper into Jesus' love and word.  Through those things we will move through perseverance, our character in Christ will become stronger and we will have the emphatic hope that we will succeed in Him. 

Heavenly Father, may we put our emphatic hope in you, knowing that you love us so much and will guide us to our intended path.  Our journey through life will not always be easy.  May you hold us close to you during times of suffering and despair.  Let us fill our lives with you and the hope that only YOU can bring.  In your name we pray.  Amen.