Never Disappoints

Let us rejoice in our hope and the confident assurance of [experiencing and enjoying] the glory of [our great] God [the manifestation of His excellence and power].3 And not only this, but [with joy] let us exult in our sufferings and rejoice in our hardships, knowing that hardship (distress, pressure, trouble) produces patient endurance;4 and endurance, proven character (spiritual maturity); and proven character, hope and confident assurance [of eternal salvation].5 Such hope [in God’s promises] never disappoints us, because God’s love has been abundantly poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Romans 5:2-5 AMP

Patient endurance? Why does it need to be so difficult to develop our character and our hope? Not only is it a difficult time of life when this is being developed in us, but we are asked, by God, to rejoice and exult with joy! This all seems so counter-intuitive. Like how are we supposed to go against ALL that feels natural? I want to just sit and have a pity party or I just want to throw in the towel and give up!

The amazing thing is the end of this portion of scripture. In verse 5 Paul says that “hope in God’s promises never disappoints us, because God’s love has been abundantly poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

The phrase “never disappoints” is a very large statement. As humans, we have never even closely experienced never being disappointed; in people, things, situations, or even ourselves.  Some people’s lives might seem smoother and easier than others, but somewhere along the way there comes disappointment. So when we hear that hoping in God’s promises will never disappoint, we kind of try to conceptualize this within our frame of reference, which is flawed. But we can rest in the truth of God truly never disappointing us. He is perfect and His ways are perfect.

Something that I have fought for and have gained so much freedom in is keeping my ‘hope’ in Christ. The scripture in Hebrews which talks about our hope in Christ being an anchor for our soul has been my battle cry for many years! So now I am grappling with the idea that hardship, distress, pressure, trouble… all produce in me more hope and more mature perspective and understanding of my Savior. This is definitely not a complete process, but I have seen is small ways and big ways that this hope truly does NOT disappoint.

The bottom line for me is to keep my eyes lifted during the storm, difficulty, seemingly impossible situations we all face at times. As soon as I drop my head and sit while I wallow or threaten to just walk away and give up, I find the difficulty gets harder but even worse the hopelessness creeps in. As long as my head and my heart are lifted to the Father, I can see the hope; I can feel His love being poured into my heart!

I never want to sink or give up. I am a fighter and I am a person who hopes ferociously in the ONE who made me and the ONE who promised fullness of life.  

...The Waterfall...

When I think of the verse John 14:6 “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” so many things come to mind.

I have heard this verse many times! I love that there are parts of the word of God that I know so well, but I also wish I could have a total fresh approach to His word! That is a goal of mine this year: to approach the Word of God freshly and as if I have never heard the astonishing truths before.

So if I were to read this verse freshly, I would wonder what it means to come through Jesus. How does that work? I want to be with the Father, to know the Father, and be in His presence. So understanding how to come ‘through’ Jesus is crucial.

I get a picture of a waterfall. If you have never experienced the grandeur and beauty of a large natural waterfall, you must put that on your bucket list! It is breathtaking. If you walk through a waterfall, you get completely drenched. Soaked. The water runs over every part of you.

This is how I have come to understand coming ‘through’ Jesus. I have to step into Him. His grace, love, and forgiveness, then, will soak and drench every part of me. Jesus chose to put His life on the line instead of mine. THAT is something that I struggle to fully understand and quite honestly, to accept. I know how evil my heart can be. I can’t understand why Jesus would sacrifice Himself for me! That is a love that I want to know more of.  

If I am coming to the Father through Jesus, I have to accept and live in His grace, forgiveness and love. I have to accept these powerful realities for my everyday life. That is a difficult process and at the same time Jesus makes it so simple for us; it is pure surrender. It is a very humbling process. I have also experienced the most fulfilling and joy-filled life as a result of choosing to come through Jesus. However, I believe there is more for me. I believe there is ALWAYS more for us in Christ.

Coming through Jesus requires action! My grammar nerd is about to come out… “come and through” denote action. It is not a passive waiting or hoping for some miraculous experience. There is action required. I have to step into the ‘waterfall’ in order to get drenched by it, and the same goes with Jesus. We must set time aside in our busy daily lives to be with Him, to allow His waterfall to flow over us. This looks different for each person, so it is not a religious duty or a set of prescribed actions. Coming to Jesus and stepping into His waterfall is a unique experience for all.

Jesus made a way for us to come to the Father, and that way is Himself! We get to be drenched and soaked by Him. I love that.