Characterized by Hope

Sometimes we become convinced that things just aren't going to work out.  There's some part of our person that goes into a self-defense mode when we see defeat beginning to surround us and rather than believe the possibility that things might work out we swallow the "probability" we've convinced ourselves of that they won't.  If we're not careful, that inner retreat can cause us to give up our most effective weapon to ultimately win.....our hope that the possible can beat the probable any day.

 

Tonight I watched the Chapel men's softball team win a game in the final minute (they cut off the games at one hour) when they had not led for 59 minutes.  From the first inning, the Chapel team was in a hole, having given up four runs in the top of the first inning.  Every time they battled back to tie, the other team would forge ahead.  There were frustrating plays when the other team's hits seemed to know how to dive just below our team's gloves and our solid raps raced like laser beams with hard impact, but straight at their fielders.  When our team came up for the last at bat, there were only about 8 minutes left to play.  We got a couple men on, but we also made two outs.  It looked like our errors in the field and our lack of hitting earlier had caught up with us, but the players kept hoping.  Somehow, in the final few minutes we scored three runs to forge ahead, just as time was called.  Somehow, I know that if all the players had stopped hoping the game would have been lost with the hope.  But good things happen when we don't quit, in sports, and in our walk of faith and hope.  We won't always win the game, but when we live in hope we're reminded that there is nothing that can take away the victory we already have in Christ and there is nothing that should rob us of that joy, which is linked directly to eternity and to the one who has promised to come back for us.

 

Hope is most needed when defeat seems most certain.

 

Romans 5:2-5 "And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.  Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. 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."

 

blessings,

Rob Smith

http://2daysthought.blogspot.com/