Day 6b Devotional: The Road To Hope

Chasing Hope: The pursuit of a Hope that lasts

Day 6b: The road to Hope

I am reminded of Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, the vehicle race I participate in annually. One year it was incredibly foggy. While normally you can see the summit clearly from the start line, this year we couldn’t.  Just because I couldn’t see the peak, I couldn’t see the road crew working, it didn’t mean it was gone, it only meant I couldn’t see it through all the fog. This is just like God, so many times we can’t see the summit, but Gods still working, when the fog, the distractions of life, the hopelessness clouds our sight of God, He doesn’t stop working, no, He is still at work and as we travel through that fog in obedience and truth, we will reach the summit God has been working and preparing for us.

When we are caught up in the midst of suffering and hopelessness, we often just get so fixated on wanting to be immediately taken out of the situation of suffering and hopelessness.  Hopelessness causes tunnel vision, and it becomes very hard to see the big picture.  We just want out, and our focus is getting this suffering to stop, and it distracts us from taking a moment and asking God what do you want from me in all of this?  How can I best walk with you through and eventually out of this situation discovering the hope that I have held onto?

I have come to realize that no matter how dark the night or bright the day, God is equally good, and all powerful.  I wanted God to remove me instantly from horrible situations, ones in which I was suffering, but He didn’t.  I have come to realize instead of focusing and questioning why I didn’t get the easy pass, I begin to focus on the fact that on the other side of this horrible thing, is the good, a story on the other side of this suffering that shows God’s power and builds my character!! 

5 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we[b] boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we[c] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 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: 1-5

This scripture is one of my favorites, but also the hardest for me to read, because I want Hope, but it seems that one the roads to hope is built on suffering, perseverance, and character!   Let’s face it, none of the results of suffering are a bad thing, it’s just the suffering can be so uncomfortable, so tough, but we have that promise that God will not only be with us, but that He will work it for the good!  The good is our perseverance, character, and hope!! See on the other side of this suffering and hopelessness is a story in which we tell of how we walked through it and out of it. 

Assignment:

Take a look at yesterday, no matter how dismal things may have been, the truth is, you survived and you are here and God is still working.  List 2 ways that today you can see how God was working. 

List 2 ways you hope to see God move in the next week.

Prayer:

Lord God, I thank you for all that you do for me. God, I thank you that even though the fog may cover what lays ahead, causing us to no longer go by sight, but by faith, you give me the strength to endure, and the discipline and patience it takes to trust you in the midst of my hopelessness and suffering.  Lord, I pray along the way may you be my single source of strength and peace as my perseverance is being built up, and as my character is formed, and my hope endured.  God, I thank you that I can rest in the truth that you are working, it may not be what I would like but I trust you to do what’s best working it for the good.