Hi friends,

I wanted to let you know that I’ve decided to take a break from sharing Monday devotionals for the summer. I’ve been writing “No Matter What Monday” devos for over five years, and I think it’s time to step back and allow the Lord to guide my next steps. I hope to be back to a regular writing and sharing schedule in the fall, so stay tuned! 

If you’re looking for resources to enrich your devotional life this summer, may I make a few suggestions? Some of my favorites are Streams of Mercy and Prone to Wander by Barbara Duguid, New Morning Mercies by Paul David Tripp, and the First 5 app (which I contribute to regularly). 

I’d appreciate your prayers as I enjoy a summer of rest and refreshment with my family. If there are ways I can be praying for you this summer, leave a comment or send me an email and let me know. 

In His grip, Marissa

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When we talk about hope, we often refer to something that may or may not happen. We hope it doesn’t rain on our family picnic. We hope our husband remembers our anniversary. We hope to lose five pounds. 

But when the Bible talks about hope, it refers to a sure thing. A rock-solid guarantee. An anchor for our souls. 

Last week’s verses showed us how our suffering produces hope. Romans 5:5 goes on to say that this hope does not put us to shame. This is an important aspect of hope, because the certainty of it allows us to endure suffering with joy and peace. 

“And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (Romans 5:5) 

Wishes and dreams can’t anchor a hurting soul. Only the true and certain hope of the Lord can serve as our sure foundation in the storm. I love how Dr. R.C. Sproul described this truth: “Hope is not taking a deep breath and hoping things are going to turn out all right. It is assurance that God is going to do what He says He will do.”

Paul says this assurance results from God’s love being poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. Elsewhere, Paul teaches that the Holy Spirit is like a guarantee of our eternal inheritance as we wait for it (Ephesians 1:13-14) The work of the Holy Spirit in our lives gives us more and more confidence in the hope we have in Christ. 

We don’t have to cross our fingers and hope God’s love doesn’t turn out to be a sham. We know. We have hope because the God who always keeps His promises said that one day, He will make all things new. This hope will never put us to shame. 

Whatever you face this week, your hope in the Lord will not put you to shame. 

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Last week, we looked at the foundation of our joy: the grace of God and His free gift of eternal life in Christ. Heaven seems like a great reason to rejoice, right? 

But in the next verse of Romans 5, Paul throws a curveball: 

“Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings . . .” (Romans 5:3a) 

Wait, what? I’m on board with rejoicing in the thought of eternal glory, but rejoicing in suffering? You better explain yourself, Paul! 

“ . . . Knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.” (Romans 5:3b-4)

I’d love to develop endurance, character, and hope. But if I’m honest, I’d rather enjoy a comfortable, easy, suffering-free life. I lose interest my character development quickly if it requires suffering to get there. 

However, God is more concerned with my character than my comfort. He is working to conform me to the likeness of His Son, not to conform my lifestyle to match my neighbor’s. Joni Eareckson Tada, a quadriplegic and cancer survivor, said it this way: “Sometimes God permits what He hates to accomplish what He loves.” 

God hates suffering, illness, tragedy, and death. But in His mysterious sovereignty, He uses suffering to accomplish what He loves: teaching His beloved children endurance, growing our character, and giving us hope. When suffering causes our earthly security to crumble, and we see that the only true source of hope is the Lord. We learn where true and lasting joy is found. And our faith grows stronger as we cling to the Lord through our trials. 

Suffering is not good. But growing in character, learning endurance, and finding our hope in the Lord are very good indeed. This gives us a reason to rejoice, even in our suffering. 

No matter what you face this week, God will use your suffering to grow your character, endurance, and hope in Him. 

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