Hope and Patience

For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. 

 

Romans 8:24-25

 

Hope.

 

That’s kind of a scary word isn’t it?

 

I think sometimes we think that in order to have hope, we have to have it all together somehow. But the truth is, hope is believing in something we do not see. When we don’t see something, the hope is that we will see an answer that doesn’t make sense. Inside of that, God doesn’t expect that we have it all figured out. We just simply wait for it with patience. 

 

Also a confusing word. 

 

Patience doesn’t mean we don’t have questions. It simply means we can accept and tolerate what is happening. 

 

Martha met Jesus as he came into Bethany. Lazarus had been daed four days at this point, and she was working through her feelings. Listen to what she says to Jesus in John 11:21-22, “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” 

 

Do you hear the conflict from within her? 

 

She is let down. 

 

She is confused and hurt. 

 

Yet she has hope - even though she can’t see any sort of answer. 

 

Jesus tells her, “Your brother will rise again.” 

 

Martha answered, I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” 

 

Jesus is separating what she believes, from what she is working through. And she answers with complete certainty. “Yes, Lord. I believe that you re the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”