In a Nutshell

There are a number of verses or passages in Scripture that give us an "in a nutshell" summary of the Christian life with emphasis on certain aspects of our walk with Christ. I Corinthians 13:13 is such a verse. It says, "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." Another such verse is James 1:27, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." This week another such verse caught my attention. It is Romans 12:12, "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." This verse spoke volumes to me in the place where I am right now--in a difficult year of my life.

It is hope which enables us to be patient in affliction. When I would be so sick as a result of a recent chemotherapy treatment, my children would dangle the hope of feeling better in front of me to encourage me to hang in there. They would talk about the hope of doing fun things again, about trips we might take and happy things we might do. But there is an even greater hope beyond having good health and good times, and that is the ultimate hope of heaven, of seeing many people we love again. Even more, there is the anticipation of beholding our Heavenly Father on His glorious throne and being able to say thank you to Jesus our Savior for rescuing us from sin and eternal sorrow. We have the hope of meeting in person the Holy Spirit Who is our constant Companion and Guide and Encourager. Hope in the Christian life is not just "maybe it will come true and maybe it won't." Hope for us is the absolute assurance that God will fulfill everything He has promised in His Word.

Not only has hope for the future been a great encouragement to me, but so has the presence of my family and friends. My children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren have popped in often to visit, and that never fails to brighten my day and put joy in my heart. I have received many wonderful notes and phone calls from friends, and they have ministered encouragement to my heart as well. Moreover, there is the constant Presence of God Himself and the notes He has written to me in His Word. That, and our conversations through prayer, have been invaluable. I have often depended upon the prayers of others when I couldn't even pray for myself, and it is especially prayer that has brought me comfort, patience, and hope in the midst of affliction. Now it is my turn to say, "Thank You, God, for bringing me this far through my difficult journey," and, "Thank all of you who have prayed for me and encouraged me in so many thoughtful ways."