Faith and hope mixed together produces the results of faith…our harvest.

I believe when God closes one door, He opens a window.  I am filled with promise!   I am expecting!   What do we do in between?   Stand steadfast in faith.  Faith is the substance of things, but HOPE is the hook.   How do we abide in HOPE until the promise is comes?

 

The Lord directed me to a Scripture that answered my very simple question. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with HOPE by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13 NIV).

I said to myself, “I have hope.”  When the situations and circumstances in my life began to change, I realized I really didn’t have hope.   Not the kind of HOPE that God wants us to have.  Hope is trusting God to act in His good timing – not our timing. For our hope is in God not circumstances or feelings.   Our confidence is to be in Him.  Nothing should change this hope.  That’s why faith and hope are deeply tied together.

My faith was strong, but my hope was weak.  Thus, the promises of God could not manifest in my life. Consequently my joy and praise decreased. That’s not what God wants for me according to Jeremiah 29:11.  I realized that I saw hope as “wishful” thinking.  I learned hope is not just a feeling. 

Hope is an attitude that directs us to higher heights.

Hope is patient expectation and eager anticipation.  Not excitement.  Even though we are excited when we hope. In Proverbs 10:28, it says “The hopes of the godly result in happiness…” But excitement can waver.  Hope is to be placed in God’s unchanging hand.  We are to completely rely and depend on Him.  And hope gives us courage (Job 11:18) so that we are not afraid, worrying or fretting about things out of our control.

Now, I know that true hope is: complete assurance of victory through God.  In Romans, it says, “…Hope that is seen is no hope at all.  Who hopes for what he already has?   But if we HOPE for what we do not yet have, we wait patiently for it.”

I heard a minister at church say, “Your patience is tied to your promise.”   At the time, I really thought I knew what she meant.   

Now, having gone through some challenges, I know exactly what she means.  

  Faith and hope mixed together produces the results of faith…our harvest.   Our overflow will come when we wait patiently on God’s timing – and with joy!