Godly Hope!
(Prov 10:28 NIrV) Those who do right can expect joy. But the hopes of sinners are bound to fail.
This morning we continue our series. In this text Solomon contrasts the expectations (or hopes) of sinners with those of believers. I have done a great deal of studying and teaching on Godly hope – a hope that does not disappoint!
One of the greatest reasons why we, as believers, can maintain our hope is because it is fueled by joy! Solomon tells us that we can expect joy. We can operate in eternal joy, whereas the best the world has to offer is happiness.
I have explained the difference between happiness and joy many times, but it is worth repeating. The word happiness comes from the Old English word “happenstance,” where we get our Modern English word, “circumstance.” They are connected for good reason. Happiness is contingent upon circumstances.
If our circumstances are good, we can be happy. If our circumstances are bad, we can be sad. So I often say, “Happiness is contingent upon happenings.” That being the case, we can see how fragile and fickle happiness – or the pursuit of it – can be.
Joy, on the other hand, is not happiness. Joy is a state of being. In Paul’s letter to the church at Galatia he told us that joy is fruit of the Spirit (5:22). The Holy Spirit Himself, God’s presence in us, enables us to operate in His supernatural joy. This joy includes the blissful benefits of happiness, but it is not limited it’s conditional circumstances. Therefore, we (as believers) can be joyful, even when my circumstances don’t allow us to be happy.
A good way to explain this is to point out something Paul said to the church at Philippi when they were facing tough challenges. Paul said, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!” (Phil 4:4). Look at what Paul told them to do. He instructed them to rejoice. This word (re-joice) literally means to tap back into your joy. Since Joy is a fruit of the Spirit and the Holy Spirit lives in us, we can always tap into His joy.
His joy is available to us every minute of every day. The same is not true with happiness. If something good happens and I get happy about it, but when that happiness wears out that good feeling is over. Happiness is temporary, where joy is an everlasting well. The world can never re-happy, but we can always re-joice!
This takes us back to our focus text for today. The Message Bible translation says, “The aspirations of good people end in celebration; the ambitions of bad people crash.” Our aspirations, our hope, our joy is supernaturally resilient. We can maintain our Godly expectation no matter what the circumstances look like. However, those without God have hopes that easily dissipate. Their hope may burn strong for a short while, but it fails in the face of adversity.
So what does this mean to you? It means that you have a hope (a Godly hope, an everlasting hope) that should enable you to enter this day with great expectations. Your hope – birthed from your relationship with God – should provide the fuel for your fire, the spring in your step, the song in your heart, and the air beneath your wings.
You have a hope that sinners wish they had; a hope that springs eternal! I will close with a quote from Paul’s to the church at Rome. He said, “Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ… and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God” (5:1,2).
Father, since I have been justified through faith, I know that I have peace with You. My relationship with You gives birth to an everlasting hope. I declare, by faith, that as I enter this day I rejoice in the hope of the glory of my God! My hope is resilient – it shall not be shaken and it shall never stop! I have great expectations for what You will do in my life today and tomorrow. I walk into this day expecting to see Your goodness manifested in my life, in my family, and in the environment that You have planted me in. Use me Father, to share Your hope with others today! In Jesus’ name. Amen!
(Prov 10:28 NIrV) Those who do right can expect joy. But the hopes of sinners are bound to fail.
This morning we continue our series. In this text Solomon contrasts the expectations (or hopes) of sinners with those of believers. I have done a great deal of studying and teaching on Godly hope – a hope that does not disappoint!
One of the greatest reasons why we, as believers, can maintain our hope is because it is fueled by joy! Solomon tells us that we can expect joy. We can operate in eternal joy, whereas the best the world has to offer is happiness.
I have explained the difference between happiness and joy many times, but it is worth repeating. The word happiness comes from the Old English word “happenstance,” where we get our Modern English word, “circumstance.” They are connected for good reason. Happiness is contingent upon circumstances.
If our circumstances are good, we can be happy. If our circumstances are bad, we can be sad. So I often say, “Happiness is contingent upon happenings.” That being the case, we can see how fragile and fickle happiness – or the pursuit of it – can be.
Joy, on the other hand, is not happiness. Joy is a state of being. In Paul’s letter to the church at Galatia he told us that joy is fruit of the Spirit (5:22). The Holy Spirit Himself, God’s presence in us, enables us to operate in His supernatural joy. This joy includes the blissful benefits of happiness, but it is not limited it’s conditional circumstances. Therefore, we (as believers) can be joyful, even when my circumstances don’t allow us to be happy.
A good way to explain this is to point out something Paul said to the church at Philippi when they were facing tough challenges. Paul said, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!” (Phil 4:4). Look at what Paul told them to do. He instructed them to rejoice. This word (re-joice) literally means to tap back into your joy. Since Joy is a fruit of the Spirit and the Holy Spirit lives in us, we can always tap into His joy.
His joy is available to us every minute of every day. The same is not true with happiness. If something good happens and I get happy about it, but when that happiness wears out that good feeling is over. Happiness is temporary, where joy is an everlasting well. The world can never re-happy, but we can always re-joice!
This takes us back to our focus text for today. The Message Bible translation says, “The aspirations of good people end in celebration; the ambitions of bad people crash.” Our aspirations, our hope, our joy is supernaturally resilient. We can maintain our Godly expectation no matter what the circumstances look like. However, those without God have hopes that easily dissipate. Their hope may burn strong for a short while, but it fails in the face of adversity.
So what does this mean to you? It means that you have a hope (a Godly hope, an everlasting hope) that should enable you to enter this day with great expectations. Your hope – birthed from your relationship with God – should provide the fuel for your fire, the spring in your step, the song in your heart, and the air beneath your wings.
You have a hope that sinners wish they had; a hope that springs eternal! I will close with a quote from Paul’s to the church at Rome. He said, “Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ… and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God” (5:1,2).
Father, since I have been justified through faith, I know that I have peace with You. My relationship with You gives birth to an everlasting hope. I declare, by faith, that as I enter this day I rejoice in the hope of the glory of my God! My hope is resilient – it shall not be shaken and it shall never stop! I have great expectations for what You will do in my life today and tomorrow. I walk into this day expecting to see Your goodness manifested in my life, in my family, and in the environment that You have planted me in. Use me Father, to share Your hope with others today! In Jesus’ name. Amen!
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