Holding To Hope!

Without hope we are left with despair. Certainly we may have hopes for this life of things that may never come to be. However, the hope God offers is one that will not disappoint us. ( Romans 5:5) God has provided a basis on which the assurance of hope can rest.

Note two things Paul mentioned that are to be associated with the hope we have.
“(4) For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that THROUGH ENDURANCE and THROUGH THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF THE SCRIPTURES we might HAVE HOPE. (5) May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, (6) that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” ( Romans 15:4-6 ESV)

We must ENDURE! If we give up, we lose. Regardless of how long we may have held on in the past, to let go now is for all of that to have been in vain. Jesus said “the one who ENDURES TO THE END will be saved.” ( Matthew 24:13 ESV) The assurance of hope helps provide the encouragement needed to keep pressing on. Let us keep holding on to the end.

We must also continue to READ THE SCRIPTURES. Therein lies the encouraging messages and promises that remind us of the hope worth pressing on toward. The Scriptures reveal the unfailing faithfulness of the “God of ENDURANCE and ENCOURAGEMENT” ( Romans 15:5), providing sufficient faith to instill a hope able to sustain our daily lives.

Let us continue to ENDURE whatever challenges we might face and accept the great ENCOURAGEMENT OF THE SCRIPTURES that “we might have hope” (present
active: “keep on having hope”). As we continue to be ENCOURAGED BY THAT WHICH WAS WRITTEN in the past we can be motivated to ENDURE in the present with a confident hope for an eternal future.

Have a great day INSPIRED ONWARD BY AWESOME ANTICIPATION!
Carl

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