“Hope — when it’s founded in Christ — will never truly disappoint us.”- Ann Swindell
” . . . we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”- Romans 5:3-5
As Ann Swindell concludes Chapter 10 of Still Waiting, she notes that waiting for full restoration muddies hope. In addition, waiting batters and smothers hope- and threatens to usurp it. Because, the author states, difficult waiting “thwacks against our hope.” Thus, we question the reality of Christ’s promises.
Furthermore, waiting often pushes our buttons of anxiety and shame, weakness and worry, identity and worth. However, hope provides a glass wall over those buttons. As a result, hope gives protection to our hearts while we wait. For hope, founded in Christ, never truly disappoints us.
Also, as long as we base our hope in Jesus, we won’t be put to shame. Our hope must not rest in release from our adversity, but in our loving Savior. Ann explains:
“My hope can’t be shaken . . . because my hope doesn’t depend on me . . . or on the outcome of my situation. It depends on Jesus and his power. . . . We have hope for both today and eternity — but we can’t confuse the one for the other. We can’t confuse our hope for today with the only hope we have.”
In conclusion, Ann emphasizes, for now, we wait. But, we wait in hope!
Today’s question: What Bible verses sustain your hope founded in Christ? Please share.
Coming Monday: the annotated bibliography of Still Waiting
Tomorrow’s blog: “A spiritual Tomatis effect”
