Hope
Would you rather listen than read? Listen here.
Facebook Memories
Every time I log into my Facebook account, Facebook insists on showing me a memory. Do you get this? Sometimes I love it because I see something that brings great joy. Other times I see a picture of someone who has passed on and it breaks my heart. I often wish Facebook could offer a warning before I scroll down.
The other day, a memory from seven years ago popped up. This one did not include a picture of my kids that made me laugh, or a picture of something that would trigger my emotions, but a picture of a lime green heart with a charcoal grey background that said, “God has a plan for you.”
The color of the heart jumped off the screen at me. It is the color of the Lyme Disease ribbon. I also posted this two years prior to my diagnosis. In that moment of seeing this memory, God spoke to my heart, saying, “I have had a plan all along.” A weight I did not know I carried left in a moment.
Acts Or Romans
As I planned what to write, I looked at the scripture references I could use this week from our ‘Bible In A Year’ reading plan. We cover a lot this week. From the end of Acts, we started with the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, and move to Paul once again taken as a prisoner. He also gets shipwrecked and bitten by a viper and survives both. We begin with Romans telling us about all Jesus has done for us. He is with us in our suffering and He brings us great hope.
I could not nail down one thing I wanted to pull out and I could not let go of that Facebook memory, and then the Lord showed me how all of it culminates to one beautiful point. The two verses below are the same. I have included the NIV because this is most familiar to many of us. I also included the NLT because it says the same thing, but in a more modern tone.
“We boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”
Romans 5:2-5 NIV
“We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.”
Romans 5:3-5 NLT
Suffering
Jesus, and the apostles, including Paul, probably understood suffering more than any of us. Paul alone faced sickness, prison, torture, persecution, starvation, a shipwreck, a snake bite, and death. I am sure he endured more beyond this list, but never once does he mention God abandoning him.
Paul took every tragedy he faced and used it to bring glory to God.
The apostle Paul took every tragedy he faced and used it to bring glory to God. Share on XIllness
Some scholars suggest that Pauls ‘thorn in his side’ or illness may have been his eyes. We know that when he encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus, God blinded him, and he remained blind for three days. From that point on, we read of more struggles that involve his eyes. In Galations 4:15, we read of Paul telling the people he knows they would give him their eyes if they could. Later in Galations 6:11, he mentions having to write with such large letters. Paul struggled with an ailment in all we read about him and yet he never let it stop him from spreading the message of Jesus.
Persecution
Paul suffered persecution, torture, and imprisonment from his own people. Even though he could have seen this as the ultimate betrayal, he stayed focused on loving them in the way Christ loved.
Tragedy
When Paul faced starvation before a shipwreck, he did not sit and wallow in his suffering. He made sure everyone ate to gain strength to face the storm ahead. After the ship wrecked on Malta, Paul helped to build a fire where a viper bit him. Do you know what happened? Nothing. God protected him from death once again.
He Is With Us
God was with Paul in everything, and He is with us, too. After my recent treatments, I have gotten a little better, but not the upswing I hoped for. That morning when I opened my computer and saw the memory, it brought more hope to my heart. God is with me. That morning I needed the reminder, and He made sure I got it.
Perseverance
As the words Paul gave so aptly tell us suffering leads to perseverance. Any of you who has suffered in anything understands the perseverance it takes. A post I once saw in a Lyme Disease group said, “You never knew how strong you were until you fighting Lyme Disease is your only choice.” So true. I know you can fill in that blank for yourself too, “I never knew how strong I was until fighting/facing _______________ was my only choice.”
Character
Perseverance produces character. After facing these battles, we cannot help but change. We grow in ways we never thought imaginable and we can help others in ways we could have never offered before. I would love to hear in the comments how you have been able to help others through your trials.
Hope
Character leads to hope. Hope does not mean a wish or something we desire. Hope is having certainty in our salvation. This hope never disappoints. Why do we get this hope? Because of Jesus’ insurmountable, all-consuming love for us.
Love this! Not a way I’ve helped others through my trials, but a note on affirmation…many years ago I made a very conscious decision to just be thankful. I have failed A LOT, but looking for reasons to be thankful, especially in the midst of poop, has made such a difference. So our preacher just concluded a series on thankfulness yesterday, and every Sunday of this series has been a piece-by-piece (I accidentally typed piece-by-peace and I’ll take that, too!) affirmation that I didn’t know I needed until I received it. It’s given me the oomph I need to trust the next steps in an area I think I unintentionally shelved due to some insecurities. I absolutely do love it when God gives us the encouragement we need. 🙂
Thank you Liz for sharing this. We have all failed a lot. Praying for you in the next steps.
No one promised us that life was going to be easy and free from pain or sorrow. But sometimes the burdens seem to great to bear. Yet, as you remind us (and Paul’s life shows us), God is with us on every step of the journey, to carry us if the burdens become too great for us to carry. Praying for your healing and wishing you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving.
I love how the end of these struggles is hope, the anchor for our souls. Thanks, Jen, and keep hoping!
Through numerous failures, God has loved me. And that knowledge gives my hope as I keep trying. Thanks for sharing
It’s hard to be thankful for difficulty, That Jesus told us we would face trials is something we don’t like to think about. Our difficulties shape us, but we always want the shaping to be complete. God bless, Jennifer.