Hope Does Not Disappoint

Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.

Hebrews 11:1

 I am so far behind in the garden I don’t really know where to begin. Every time I make just a little progress another storm comes through to add debris on top of the debris that’s already there. Granted, Rebekah and I have made a general decision to, “Give the garden back to God,” but I’m pretty sure I heard a retort along the lines of, “I created it; I make it grow. You’re the one who put a house here, so is it too much to ask that you at least keep the place tidy?”

 Fair enough.

But it is mid-March now, and before long we should be getting a lot more help from the flowers. Walking across to my parents’ place this morning I noticed these delicate daffodils doing their best to provide a small focal point of beauty.

It really is amazing how much impact one grouping of hopeful flowers can make against such a backdrop.

Like a small framed photograph found, unscathed, in the wreck of a home leveled by a storm; or the family standing in a home ravaged by fire, determined to rebuild their lives. The truth about the future held in the life, not the destruction.

Then I think of places like Ukraine – and all war-torn lands throughout this world so oppressed by those hungry for power – and it is so obvious how ugly war is, how brutal and barbaric, how contrary to God’s heart: and I look for daffodils, I look for hope, reminders that what is true, and right, and lovely, and sacred will never be destroyed, can never be destroyed.

No matter what the wasteland is we find ourselves in, there is always beauty somewhere, light that finds its way in, cool refreshment that flows through a chink in the despair.

Yes, God wants us to do a much better job of tending this garden… this family… our grandchildren… this community… this nation… this world. And, yes, there are sometimes dark and malevolent forces at work in opposition to restoration, and healing, and goodness, and light. But, even more yes, there are daffodils poking their way to the surface; and there is light cutting through the darkness; and there is love, gently healing in so many ways.

Because hope defines us as people of faith. And hope, Romans 5:5 tells us, does not disappoint.

In love, and because love always wins – DEREK

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Derek is a North Carolina-based writer, journalist, teacher and speaker. He is the author of numerous books on what the Bible reveals as essential in becoming a man of God.

He is convinced that his four grandchildren are exactly the hope and promise that this world needs. His conviction is important to understand because it reveals a lot about his theology, and how he believes our identity as God’s children plays out in the day-to-day experience of living in a world where darkness, disappointment, and defeat are all too common.

He is a committed encourager, and a pilgrim in progress. He divides his time between writing and traveling to speak about the fully engaged life. His passion is to connect people – men and women – with a more vibrant, authentic experience of what he calls “The Life-Charged Life.”

If you would like to read more, check out his author page at Amazon. Also check out his website and his daily blog.

 Reading Between The Lines, With Derek Maul is published every Wednesday on Christian Grandfather Magazine.

Article and Photo Published With Permission