Hope

I listened to a sermon on Sabbath by Piper, and he more or less said that loving others is so important...but that we can think we are loving someone but not really be loving them at all....BECAUSE in whatever we do, love also involves helping a person to savor the Lord Jesus Christ and HOPE in God.

He mentioned Rom. 15:13... "Now the God of HOPE fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost."

HOPE is so important in our lives! Without it, we cannot go on. HOPE is what brings the joy and peace, isn't it?

I am also reminded about the verse in Heb. 6:19 that says that HOPE is the "anchor of the soul". It's the thing that stablizes us and gives us strength to go on.

HOPE is a wonderful thing! Hoping in God...knowing that he will answer our prayers....knowing that he will fulfill the promises (yes, even specific ones) that we feel He has promised us through the scriptures....is a wonderful thing!

I'm reminded of Rom. 15:4 that says "FOr whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we though patience and comfort of the the scriptures might have HOPE."

The O.T. scriptures contain promises even for us as N.T. believers....We can apply them to our lives and take the promises for ourselves. Praise the Lord! Amen!

Thinking of Rom. 4:18, too, where it is said that Abraham "who against hope believed in hope". Even if something seems so IMPOSSIBLE, still we can have hope because God is a BIG God!