Rejoice in hope. Romans 12:12
The hope that Paul is speaking about here is not an optimistic feeling that things will get better. Paul was not naïve, and he did not hold to an evolutionary view of human nature. He says, “Evil people… will go on from bad to worse” (2 Tim. 3:13).
The hope that Paul speaks about here is what the New Testament often refers to as “the hope.” This is the great and glorious hope that is ours in Christ, located not in this world but in the new world, into which Christ will bring us at His second coming.
Paul says we are “waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works” (Titus 2:13-14). When you cannot find joy in what is around you, find joy in what is ahead of you.
Paul has already spoken about this hope in Romans.
- We rejoice in hope of the glory of God (5:2).
- The sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us (8:18).
- In this hope we were saved (8:24).
Whatever your circumstances today, God says to you, “Rejoice in hope.” The question is, how are you going to do that?
Stop indulging false hopes. “Hope deferred makes the heart sick” (Prov. 13:12). If you keep telling yourself something is going to happen, and it doesn’t, you end up feeling sick. It breaks your heart. Don’t put yourself in that position. Don’t set yourself up for disappointment.
Are you indulging a false hope? What could you do instead?
