Hope Does Not Disappoint Us
by Margaret Silvester
The day before writing this I met with a group in the afternoon and another group in the evening to pray. Both of these groups are extremely small but I believe God has led me to join them because the issues of prayer are on His heart for the days in which we live.
Prayer is sometimes a battle. It doesn’t seem humanly possible that what we’re battling for will come into reality. This led me into digging deeper into the biblical meaning of hope, which is very different from the usual meaning. Webster’s dictionary says that ‘hope’ implies little certainty, but suggests the possibility that what one desires or longs for will happen. In brief, the world defines hope as a desire for some future thing which we’re uncertain of receiving.
Christian hope is different. It’s the assurance that, when God leads you to pray, He’ll make something visible which you can’t see now. Hope gives the tenacity to hold in against all the odds, because hope gives rise to faith. Christian hope means that, when God has promised something, you put your trust in that promise. Christian hope is confidence that what you’re praying for will come to pass, because it rests on God’s unfailing promise.
God can’t break a promise, so, resting on His unchanging character, doubt is dispelled. As our text for today tells us, when we’ve already received something we don’t hope for it, but we hope for that which we’re waiting in faith for. When the desires of your heart are His desires for His kingdom purposes you will receive that which you’re praying for in hope.
Hope doesn’t disappoint us, because God has poured His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit whom He has given us (Romans 5:5). True hope comes because we know we’re loved by God, and through the indwelling Holy Spirit we’ve come to love Him in return.
Prayer: Thank You, Heavenly Father, for Your amazing love and faithfulness and for Your unchanging character. Please show me the things on Your heart and teach me how to pray with hope for Your purposes to be fulfilled, for Your glory. Amen.
Margaret Silvester had a career as a teacher prior to being called into full time Christian Ministry with her husband, David, in 1986. They were involved in establishing a Healing Ministry in the local church and Margaret has a passion to see lost and wounded people found and restored. She and her husband joined the Ellel Ministries teaching and ministry team in 2000 after a clear call from God. Margaret`s book "Stepping Stones to the Father Heart of God" has recently been published.
Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship. Provided full acknowledgement is made to Seeds of the Kingdom as the source, you are also welcome to use it in a non-commercial way and reproduce it in magazines or other Christian websites. The copyright for any commercial use of the material remains with Ellel Ministries International.
