Romans 5:5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.

People hope for all sorts of things, and sometimes they get them and sometimes they don’t. That’s why it’s important that Paul points out that the hope we have in Christ does not end in disappointment. (The Japanese expression is literally, “loss of hope.”) The reason for that is the Holy Spirit pouring God’s love into our hearts. When we understand how much God loves us, then temporal things are no more than bumps in the road, and they cannot rob us of the assurance of salvation. The world is crying out for hope, because a life without hope is hardly worth living. One of the magnificent things of the Gospel (and there are so many!) is that it gives us eternal hope, that not even death can shut down. The length of our life on this earth is essentially immaterial, so long as we make use of it to commit to Jesus Christ as Lord. Doing that opens up eternity to us, and that puts everything else into perspective. That is indeed an eternal hope!

I got a strong lesson in this when my father died less that two weeks after his 64th birthday. I was hit with loneliness, because we had enjoyed just 2½ months of real fellowship as adult brothers in Christ, but I had the assurance that the separation wasn’t forever, and that God had blessed my father with not having to retire from being a missionary in Japan. Those without hope in Christ cannot imagine that perspective! At this point, when I am several months past my own 64th birthday, I have no idea when God will call me home, or for that matter, when He will call anyone else home. However, I don’t need to be anxious about any of that because I know the love of God, and I know that I can trust Him with everything.

Father, even though what I have written is true, I still get frazzled by little irritations. Thank You for such reminders that I need to keep growing! Help me keep my eyes on You, and specifically on Jesus Christ my Lord, whatever is going on around me, so that I won’t allow anything to steal the peace and joy You have provided for me, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!