Holding Onto Hope

“When nothing makes sense, 

when the waiting seems too long, 

when it seems impossible, 

and when all hope seems lost…hold onto hope.”

Loren Thornburg

It’s been a week without finding the missing plane.  It’s a mystery leaving many families in anguish with each passing day that makes any hope of finding them less possible.  Yet, many families are still holding onto hope.  Hope is the anticipation or expectation that things will turn out for the best.  Each day that passes without any signs of the circumstances changing makes it harder and harder to hold onto hope.  We all know what it’s like to be in the place where things seem hopeless.  It is there that we will either hold onto hope or despair.  It’s hard to hope and to keep believing in something that seems impossible.  It’s a risk that often we aren’t willing to take.  We think we are protecting ourself from disappointment with despair.  Yet, it is in holding onto hope that is the greater protection, from the despair which is actually the bigger danger and detriment.  So even when all hope seems lost…hold onto hope.  It may be the very thing that saves you.  

“…and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

Romans 5:5 NASB

God is all about hope.  He is hope.  Our hope is in Him who loves us so much that He not only gave His Son to have relationship with us but gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit that we might know this love.  This verse on hope comes in the context of suffering and how suffering leads to hope.  Not just any hope but a hope that doesn’t disappoint.  This is not a hope because everything is going well, but a hope even when there seems no reason to, when suffering and sorrow prevail.  Still even then we are free to hope because our hope in Him is solid and sure.  The difference is that our hope is in Him and not in any outcome.  We can hope for those outcomes because we trust in a God who does not disappoint.  We may be disappointed at times but even still our hope in Him is sure.  His love for you is sure regardless of your circumstances.  When all hope seems lost, hold onto Him who is our Hope who does not disappoint.