Refiner's Fire

So tonight I thought I would focus on hope. As I was reading through the Bible I noticed two things about hope. Hope in our daily lives that things will get better, and hope in the gospel.

The first I want to think upon is Hope of salvation. I'll be honest when times are hard, and Im faced with lots of trials its hard to find hope. Just seems like one bad thing after another.. as I know from talking to friends that is how they feel at times too. But what happens is I forget the hope we have in Christ. The hope of our salvation!!!

Col 1:5, (NASB), because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel

1 Thess 5:8, (NASB), But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.
2 Thess 2:16, (NASB), Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace,


First we have hope that we will one day be in Heaven with Christ! We have hope that comes from believing in the Gospel. The Gospel message is FILLED with hope!!! And of course hope brings peace and joy to people. I mean honestly I dont think about all the hope I have, or how much I should be betraying hope to people. Think about it.. so many people who are sad, broken, lost, in this world.. so many who have no hope. And yet I walk around sometimes acting as if I dont have hope. Yet we as believers HAVE SO MUCH HOPE!!!! Also God has given us eternal comfort.. wow isn't that AWESOME! In Eternity, we will always be loved, always have hope, always have comfort. Praise the Lord!


Now there is also hope that comes from having Christ in us. We dont just have to twiddle our thumbs and wait to have that hope of eternal life with God in Heaven. We have CHRIST NOW! Right now we have Christ in us.


1 Pet 1:3, (NASB), Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,


Wow.. I have, we have a living hope. I have the mind of Christ the Holy Spirit in me.. I have living hope. Im walking breathing hope.


Lastly theres hope that comes from God during our times of afliction and oppression. So we have hope of salvation, a living hope, and now hope that all things will work together for our good, that God will heal us.



Rom 15:13, (NASB), Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Jer 14:22, (NASB), Are there any among the idols of the nations who give rain? Or can the heavens grant showers? Is it not You, O Lord our God? Therefore we hope in You, For You are the one who has done all these things.
Ps 62:5, (NASB), My soul, wait in silence for God only, For my hope is from Him.



And my favorite verses:
Rom 5:1-5, (NASB)

1

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

2

through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.

3

And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;

4

and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;

5

and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.



I love the verses in Romans there the Love of God poured out within our hearts. I think its good for me and us to remember Gods promises, to remember what is in us. That we have hope in us, that we have Gods love in us, we have hope of salvation that we will abound in hope because of the Holy Spirit. Did you ever realize how many verses talk about hope??

Ps: sorry if messed up format or misspelled words... too tired and sore to care. lol