The Hope of EasterSample

When Disappointment Comes 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. -Romans 5:5 To try to rid himself of his disappointments, a man decided to auction off his belongings on eBay. He said, “On the day all my possessions are sold, I intend to walk out of my front door with my wallet and passport and nothing else.” He planned to visit his mother before heading to the airport. "I'll see where life takes me from there. It's time to shed the old and in with the new!” All of us can relate to the disappointments of life. The apostle Paul encouraged the believers in Jesus in Rome to remember that Jesus’ death provided them with “peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us” (Romans 5:1). This divine peace empowers all believers to experience “hope [that] will not lead to disappointment” (v. 5). Moreover, it helps us face difficulties without running away from them. “Trials,” he wrote, are designed to develop “endurance . . . strength of character, and . . . hope” within us (vv. 3-4). God’s presence provides a settled confidence that He loves us and will empower us through the Holy Spirit (v. 5). And His love and the Spirit’s presence provide the assurance that our trust in Him isn’t misplaced (v. 8). As believers in Jesus, rather than running from our disappointments, we can rejoice in them, knowing that God is walking with us through them. Marvin Williams What was your initial response to a recent disappointment? What will help you express your confident hope in God even when facing disappointments? Dear God, please help me trust in You when I face the hard and disappointing times of life.