Sacrificial Hope

^" I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit."  Romans 15:13

I have so much hope for my future.  What I love about this Bible verse is that right smack dab in the middle of the it comes the word "trust".  I think it's so exciting how trust in God gives way to things like joy and peace, but I especially like hope.  Hope's one of my favorites.   True hope comes from that place of trust.  Sometimes that trust is completely sacrificial. Let me give you an example in my own life.

I believe that God had given me a promise.  I've been holding onto this promise ever since I was a little girl.  I believed that one day I would be a wife.  Recently, I've been moving forward into new things, trying to listen to God's leading.  As I've listened, I've realized that in order to move forward I need to sacrifice, in trust, the promise I believe God gave to me. 

As I took this journey of sacrifice, I read two stories from the Bible.  First, Abraham's story from Genesis 22:1-18, in which Abraham was asked by God to sacrifice his son Isaac.  Then, I read Jesus story of sacrifice on the cross in Matthew chapters 26-28.

In Abraham's story, a ram was provided by God to replace Isaac as the sacrifice.  Because of his faith and trust in God, Abraham was blessed in Genesis 22:17-18. 

^17" I will certainly bless you. I will multiply your descendants  beyond number, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will conquer the cities of their enemies. ¹⁸ And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed—all because you have obeyed me.”   Abraham must have been feeling pretty hopeful, joyful and peaceful that day.

In Jesus' story, He was the lamb who took away the sin of the world.  Because of His magnificent sacrifice we are the one's who have been blessed with eternal life.

^16" For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."   John 3:16-17
Once again, a message of hope, peace, and joy, through sacrifice.

As I sacrificed this promise, I took it very seriously.  I knew what it meant.  The Lord will not necessarily provide me a ram in replacement.   I must be willing to give up this promise in order to make way for the Lord to move in my life.  Do I know God's plan for my future?  Of course not.  But, I know I can trust Him, and where I lack trust He is teaching me to trust Him, day by day.  One thing I do know is that God's future for me is far better than the one I imagine.  It is full of Joy, and Peace, and Hope.  But, best of all it is full of Him.