photo courtesy of Miguel Saavedra
So it was like a roller coaster of hope and hopelessness.
The suffering comes and with it comes darkness, bleakness, and hopelessness.
The things appear to change a little bit . . . and hope returns.
But then there is another shift and hope disappears again.
What’s the problem here?
The problem is simple: what is my hope in?
Is all of my hope wrapped up in this circumstance, this path of suffering? Am I only hopeful when things seem to be going the way I want them to go?
How is it that I can still understand so little about suffering? How is it that I can still miss that suffering is a path of hope. If you wonder how I can say that, its because suffering means something in our lives has spun completely out of our control. And that means God is in control. Finally. And that means our future is full of hope, because God is planning it! He knows the path that is full of hope . . .if we can trust Him, let go of our fears and follow. Follow through the pain. Follow if the pain doesn’t seem to end.
The truth is if we love God and we follow Him, then our future is always hope-filled because we have the promises of Heaven waiting for us.
The truth is our lack of hope over our earthly situations and pain is just another sign of our weak faith–our focus on what is here on earth instead of what God has waiting for us in Heaven. And, it means that we don’t trust God to do what is best for us.
There is always hope to be had. We just don’t always feel it or see it.
but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.Isaiah 40:31