Claudia closes out this Firmly Rooted Friday series on the “love chapter” with today’s discussion on how love gives us hope. Don’t miss the two previous weeks– week one and week two.

Love Gives Us Hope

 The love of Christ forces us to hope.

For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face.

Now I know in part; then I shall know fully even as I have been fully known.

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest is love.

I Corinthians 13:12-13 ESV

Well, we made it! As we close out our time in the “love chapter” we get to focus on the promise of more. The love of Christ forces us to hope. Which is not the same as wishing. Not even close. The hope of every believer is grounded in the promises of Christ. 

For all the promises of God find their Yes in him.

That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.

2 Corinthians 1:20 ESV

As my Daddy used to say, “you can take that to the bank!” Loving like Jesus is no easy task, even when you believe. But, that is why we need a Savior because we can’t. We are not able to forgive when there has been a real offense. We struggle with using correct judgment when the circumstances scream, “pick me and not love!” When we see our life literally fall apart before our eyes it’s hard to say, “I still choose the way of Love.” 

When death comes and all you feel is sadness and despair you can’t choose to love anyway, it is not in us. This is why loving like Jesus is a miracle and only accomplished through the supernatural. Meaning that we walk in the natural realm but, we serve a God who is supernatural. When we begin to apply the living Word of God to our natural circumstances we are pushed into the realm of the supernatural where our God reigns supreme. 

Write the Vision of Hope

I will take my stand at my watchpost and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint. And the Lord answered me: “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.

Habakkuk 2:1-3 ESV

When our Dufflings were small my husband took them on walks with the littlest riding in the wagon. On one of these walks when they returned the littlest Duffling was riding on her daddy’s shoulders and the wagon was full of trash. Seriously? However, Duffling #2 was shouting with delight, “Mom it’s a robot!”  I honestly could not see that at all. He pulled the wagon onto the patio and asked for a roll of duct tape. A couple of hours later he asked us to join him on the patio to reveal his robot. Girlfriends, all of that rubbish looked exactly like a robot, well at least one built by a seven-year-old. I was speechless. 

But think about it. Josiah, Duffling #2, had a vision that only he could see. With that vision, he built that robot for all to see. The Lord will take our rubbish love and build it into His vision for all to see. The “love chapter” can seem overwhelming when we try to see it with our finite minds. The Holy Spirit is really good at expanding our sight beyond what we are able to see and comprehend. Be encouraged. The Word of God is meant to move us from glory to ever-increasing glory. Not stopping until we see Jesus face to face. 

Girlfriends get out on that watchpost and stand! God is pouring out his love; go and get yours! Love like Jesus and see the vision come forth! His love gives us hope. Meet me back here again as we start something new over the next few weeks! 

<>< Claudia

Firmly Rooted!