What I have on my heart to share with you today is an excerpt from one of my journals. Holy Spirit brought me back to it as I was seeking Him for this devo. More than ever before, our world right now needs hope. So this is particularly relevant for this chapter of history that is currently unfolding. As usual, I journaled what follows in the form of a prayer, expressing what God was downloading to my heart, reflecting it back to Him:
“‘We glory in tribulations… tribulation produces… hope.” (Rom. 5:3-4, NKJV). Daddy, You breathed in that this Scripture is talking about hope that is a manifestation of having come to deeply know You. It’s about coming to intimately know Your goodness. In the midst of the fiery furnace, You make Yourself real to me and manifest Your glory. As I experience this, I come to know for myself how deeply good You are. As a result, my heart comes to live in a permanent, resting posture of expectation of living in Your goodness, always. My heart learns, not hope for an outcome, but deep, deep hope in YOU.
“‘Now hope does not disappoint…” (v. 5a). It does not, will not disappoint. It will not fail me. This deep heart posture of hope rooted in personal experience of Your goodness will not fail to be produced. “Because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit…” (v 5b). The experience of You doing this for me step by step throughout the journey, You pouring in Your love, increasing my capacity to receive it, glory in it, again and again, deeper and deeper, is what gradually produces this living hope on the inside of me.
“‘And we rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (v. 2). Hope says inside of me, I will see Your love glory more and more. I will taste and see that You are good, increasingly so, for every day that I live. I will see, taste, know, experience for myself, walk in, glory in the revelation knowledge of Your goodness here in the land of the living!
“Hope is not about an outcome. Hope is about diving deep into Your character and experiencing who You are.”
****************
Have you observed a pattern of trials eventually resulting in deeper hope taking root in the fiber of your character?
Feeding On Jesus 
Someone once told me that “hope” in the Bible was not like it is in English, wishing for something that may or may not happen. Biblical “hope” is like “faith,” an assurance that what we hope for we WILL see. Good word, today, Jennifer.
❤️&🙏, c.a.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes! That person was right on. Hope that is so powerful, it’s an anchor for our soul. Thank you, my brother!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Whispering Hop[e oh how welcome Thy Voice. . This prayer as a child resonates to me. The Voice gentle as an angel whispers Hope, Peace and Faith. God’s Voice to all Who seek Him in the Darkness of trouble.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That is so beautiful! Are you quoting something there? It sounds like poetry or a song?
LikeLike
Words that were helpful as I read them today. There are many things in my schedule at the moment and I’m managing to find *most* of them in healthily. It is a struggle at times, and this subsumes leads to stress. This time of haste and rushing will not be forever, and the good news is God is with me through it all. 🧡
LikeLiked by 1 person
Amen and amen, YES He is, Emmanuel! Grace and peace to you in abundance, Hamish!
LikeLiked by 1 person