Hope Not Disappointed
(week 23/04)
Olubi Johnson
Romans 5:3-5 NKJV: And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Here, we are told of a hope that does not disappoint: an expectation created from the knowledge and experience of God’s Word that will not be disappointed because of God’s integrity and His love for us.
God’s integrity: the fact that it is impossible for Him to lie or deceive and the fact that He loves us so much: even when we don’t deserve it, is what ascertains that our hopes based on His Word will not be disappointed.
Sometimes, our hopes are disappointed: Hopes for healing, deliverance, the fruit of the womb, prosperity.
These hopes sometimes fail to materialize at the times of our expectation and this deferring of our hopes causes our hearts to become sick with discouragement, unbelief and some times even bitterness or rebellion against God.
Proverbs 13:12 NKJV: Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
How then do we ensure that our hopes will not be disappointed?
Firstly, it is important to realize that there is a hope that contains all other hopes: a hope that will fulfill all other hopes:
Colossians 1:27-28 NKJV: To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.
The hope of glory: the hope of Christ perfected in us in this lifetime in spirit, soul and body is the hope of all hopes:
1 John 4:17 NKJV: Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.
1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 NKJV: Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.
If you will make this hope your major hope then deferments of other minor hopes will not make your heart sick.
Now hope is a future expectation based on the promise of God’s Word.:
Romans 15:4 KJV: For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
Faith gives substance (Heb. 11.1) to hope to make it a present reality, when faith is acted upon with corresponding actions.
For faith to give substance to hope to make a present reality rather than just a future expectation the will of God concerning the promise must be known, understood and fulfilled.
The reason why sometimes our hopes are disappointed is because we are trying to obtain promises of God’s Word at a time in which we have not fulfilled the conditions for those promises.
So for our hopes not to be disappointed, we need to be fulfilling the conditions of the promises of God’s Word, which may take sometime for us to fulfil. If we understand this then our hearts will not be sick when hope is deferred.
Furthermore, love is the fulfilling of the law (Rom. 13.8-10) and all of the Word of God (Mt. 22.36-40). So if we walk in the revelation of the love that God has for us and that God wants show to us through us then our hopes will not be disappointed.
Paul says “hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit”
Romans 15:13 KJV: Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
So, to ensure your hopes are not disappointed walk in divine love by doing these things as a daily habit:
1. Walk in the fear of God.
2. Walk in the life of God: using the name of Jesus to receive life (1 Jn. 3.22, Jn. 20.31).
3. Read the Word daily as habit: the Word of God contains the wisdom of God of how to do good in all situations (Prov. 2.6).
4. Pray in the spirit: pray in tongues (1 Cor. 14.2) to release the mercy and grace of God (Heb. 4.14-16, 7.25, Rom. 8. 26,27) that will give you the patience and power of God to walk in love.
