Sure Hope
Scripture Reading — Romans 5:1-5
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, he told the story of Abraham. He emphasized Abraham’s faith. Paul said that even Abraham, who was considered a God-fearing and good man, was praiseworthy not because he was so good but because he believed God.
If you go read the story of Abraham in Genesis, you will find quite a few examples of Abraham making mistakes and committing sins. For example, twice he lied and told someone that his wife, Sarah, was his sister (Genesis 12 and 20). He was a good man in many ways, but he was an ordinary, flawed person, like anyone else.
The great thing about Abraham was not anything about Abraham himself; it was that he put his trust and hope in God. Abraham believed God’s promises, and he put his hope in God’s being true to his promises.
The same is true for us today. If we hope in our own power or our own goodness or strength, we will be disappointed. In ourselves, we do not have enough goodness to give us hope for the future. But faith in God, given to us by the Holy Spirit, is a sure source of hope.
Do you have that hope?
Dear God, we praise you because you are true to your promises, and we thank you that you are the true source of hope. Help us, by your Holy Spirit, to put our hope in you. Amen.
About the author — Rebecca Jordan Heys
Rebecca Jordan Heys serves as a pastor at Calvin Christian Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She and her husband, Kyle, are the parents of two children.
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