Last weekend, my neighbour went off to get married. He headed up country to where his family and his new bride’s family lives and he returned this past weekend, looking like a changed man. I think the ladies would freely use the word ‘glowing’. His new wife is probably ‘glowing’ too, but as a man, I’ll just stick with ‘happy’! So, while they were off on their new adventure, which included a brief honeymoon somewhere secretive, I was volunteered by my wife to be the one to care for his large window box of herb plants. It didn’t go well. I’ve never successfully grown herbs before and assumed it couldn’t be too hard. Let me just say that the plants didn’t die, and I watered them well and trimmed them etc, but I was not popular on his return. He was really unhappy about the way his plants looked and how I’d cared for them, and I thought they looked great. He used a phrase that went something like: ‘I’m sure we’ll be able to rehabilitate them somehow’ and I think he was a bit harsh; but then again, they are his plants, so what can I say about it. It goes without saying that it bothered me, and in true Brad fashion, I needed to think about all of this and it became a devotional right there in my head. One about hope.
My friendly neighbour had a lot on his mind heading out of town last week, and one of those thoughts was that he hoped he’d see his plants in the same or better condition on his return, but according to him, he didn’t. He was clearly disappointed. I immediately thought of Proverbs 13:12. I know that it’s only herbs, people, but stick with me for the principle.
Hope deferred makes the heart sick…
When you put your hope in people, or the weather, or in your favourite sports team, or even (gulp) the church, you are going to end up with a sick heart somewhere along the line. That’s what you get for relying on something fickle, fragile and part of a sinful world. So what if you put your heart in the hands of One that will not disappoint? That would be the best thing you could do. Hope has been defined as ‘a positive expectation of something good’ and with God that is just it: Our hope in a good God with love for us and a desire to see us have something good. And the good is not only for our life here on earth but ultimately, a hope in something beyond this; a hope of glory.
Romans 5:5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.
This is the foundation of our HOPE. God himself has promised us His hope, and it is NOT one that is going to make our hearts sick, but make our hearts glad as we wait on Him, knowing what He has in store for us is greater than we could ever imagine. Love does that.