I looked down at the scripture I had underlined, memorized, and meditated on for the dozen-enth time. Like a sneak attack, the following thoughts popped into my head. Ugh…am I silly for coming back to this verse? Does it even matter? Am I just propping myself up with false hope?
Like return fire, or the activating of a force field, the Lord brought to mind a verse. Hope does not disappoint.
My heart filled with tenderness as these words blazed across my soul’s sky, and I immediately turned to Romans 5. Hope does not disappoint.It does not put us to shame.
…and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Romans 5:5
This verse comes at the end of a passage where Paul reveals that suffering produces endurance, endurance- character, and character- hope.
The Cost
What a beautiful promise. As children of God who are walking in step with him, we will not be put to shame because of the promises we stand on. But take a look at the words that start off that passage: suffering and endurance. Hope is birthed through trying circumstances, tested in the fires of unrealized dreams, damaged relationships, daunting health challenges, and any number of other trials.
We hope and endure, endure and hope, and through that process, our lives can sometimes feel like that buffering symbol when you are waiting for a webpage to load. We are all familiar with this sight, aren’t we? Buffering. Loading. Refreshing. WAITING. Has your life ever felt like this?
Promise Buffering
We all go through seasons of when our promises are still buffering, not loading. The key that I have to keep reminding myself of, and what should encourage you is that t is just a season. It won’t last forever. Even if it feels like nothing is happening to, for or through you, push past those feelings and grab onto the truth. God is working behind the scenes and deep in the soil of our hearts to bring about what He wants to bring about. Keep watering, keep tending to those promises, even if you only see the same old dirt every week.
I remain confident of this:I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.
Psalm 27:13-14
Whatever promises are circled in your Bible, don’t be ashamed as you revisit and remind yourself of them. Don’t give up as you pour out faith and hope on the (seemingly) barren soil of your life. God’s words do not return void, but always accomplish his purposes. They build our faith. They anchor our souls, and fill us with hope; hope that is available in abundance for all who seek it.
