JOYFUL HOPE IN TOUGH TIMES

“My brethren, count it all JOY when you fall into various TRIALS, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience” – James 1: 2-3

The Holy Spirit empowers Believers in Christ to experience JOYFUL HOPE in TOUGH TIMES: “My brethren, count it all JOY when you fall into various TRIALS, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience” (Jam.1:2-3). We noted in yesterday’s meditation that we can REJOICE IN HOPE even when life seems hard and times tough! In any walk of life, there will be times of great blessings and times of great difficulty; times when we feel full of joy and times when we feel quite despondent. Whatever our circumstances, God commands and empowers us to: “Rejoice in Hope.”

Here are three scriptural nuggets on ‘How to Rejoice in Hope When Life Is Hard and Times are Tough’:

Avoid false hopes: “Hope deferred makes the heart sick” (Pro.13:12a). If one keeps thinking something is going to happen, and it doesn’t, one ends up feeling sick. We must stop indulging false hopes that break the heart, setting ourselves up for disappointment. Proverbs 19:21 says, “There are many plans in a man's heart, nevertheless the counsel of the LORD – that will stand.” The world is full of uncertainties. Outside of God’s Word, nothing is predictable. People often wonder, “When are we going to see the kind of world we had hoped for?” Not in Time! All visions of utopia are doomed to failure in this world. It is in the nature of the human spirit to think we can redeem the world, but humanity never has, and never will.

Recognise short term uncertainty: “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit’; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow” (Jam. 4:13-14a). It is good to have plans, but we must remember that when plan for the future, we don’t even know if we’ll be here tomorrow! Everything we hope to do depend on God’s Grace; therefore the wise person says, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that” (Jam. 4:15b). We don’t know what will happen tomorrow, but we do know Who holds tomorrow – our Lord Jesus Christ. And, we know the final outcome of our lives in Him – Glory: “Christ in you, the HOPE of GLORY” (Col.1:27b)!

Rejoice in the Blessed Hope: “looking for the BLESSED HOPE and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). Rather than being disappointed by the world’s uncertainties, we can rejoice in our long-term security in Christ, as we “seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God”; as we set our minds “on things above, not on things on the earth” (Col.3:1-2). In the eternal future, sin will be no more – neither in us nor around us. We shall serve the Lord without inhibitions. Never again would we be tired, weary, or discouraged.

Free from the curse, there shall be no floods, raging fires, storms, tsunamis or tornadoes. There shall be no violence, hatred or fear in a world where every person truly loves his sister and brother. We will enjoy life in a resurrection body in which the dark cloud of depression can never cast its shadow over us, the strong pull of temptation will never rise from within us, and the sharp anguish of pain will never torment us. We will be at home and at peace. All tears will be wiped from our eyes (Rev.7:17). There will be no death, mourning, crying, or pain (Rev.21:4). Above all, our eyes shall behold the King in His beauty (Isa.33:17). We shall see God, and in His Presence, find Fullness of Joy.

“Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him” (v.12). As we learn to Rejoice in Hope, we will be approved to receive the Crown of Life! We will be a Joy to our Saviour, and He to us, forever.