Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
                                                                                   — Romans 5:3-5 NIV

Let hope explode
     like morning glories vining
          o'er the garden fence
               and into the thorn-filled fields.

          Oh, maiden there
               attending to the harvest 
                    your Savior waits in splendor
                         hand to Him your labor.

Let hope surprise
     like spring, stubborn and sure
          taking your breath away
               with its myriad of mysteries.

          Oh, maiden there
               let down your golden hair 
                    find soothing soil for troubled feet
                         for work-wearied hands, relief.
	
Let hope burst forth
     like the chill of a rippling creek
          smoothing rocks and carving banks
               as it careens wild and free.

           Oh, maiden there
                tired from trying too hard 
                     step into waters that cleanse
                          go under and rise again.

Let hope ignite
     that part of you that turned to stone
          when fire consumed your paper house
               and bequeathed you cold.

Let go and let hope come, unexpected, but welcome.

We fear that hope will be a dead end street. Why bother? No one wants to be left out in the cold. Man’s wisdom says we have to have it all figured out. To trust God as we battle and persevere through difficulties sounds noble, but what if it doesn’t pan out? What then?

We’re especially leery if hope has disappointed us in the past. It seems safer to not let ourselves believe. And so, we leave hope stashed away in the back of the bottom drawer, because we don’t want to be hurt again.

But maybe our hopes have been misplaced in the past. Maybe our hope was in what God would give us, or do for us, rather than in Him. He is God, after all. 

The Lord will come through in His timing, in His way. Psalm 27:13-14 has been a great encouragement to me, “I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord, be strong and take heart, and wait for the Lord” (NIV).

Hope is not a dead end street, but a path to God. Hope in the Lord and continue to persevere. Unwavering faith will not disappoint when you keep your sights on Him. The end result may not be quite what you had expected, but remember, He is God. The wait will be worth it.

Lord, help us to keep our hopes in You when we want to give up. Help us to persevere though we don’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. Be our hope, be God, in our lives today.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.