HOW CAN WE EVER LOSE HOPE?

 

 I love asking questions. As a follower of Jesus for over 50 years, I STILL HAVE MANY QUESTIONS. PERSONALLY, I am inquisitive. I need to KNOW STUFF. I need to LEARN STUFF. AND my method of teaching usually involves exploring and discovering the answers to my own questions.

I am a curious person. Are you? One of the reasons I love to explore GOD'S WORD is I am always seeking ANSWERS. It is funny because many times I am often seeking answers to questions I haven't even asked yet. That may be one of the reasons I love Romans 8:31-39. Paul, writing to the Christians in Rome, asks 7 brilliant questions in these 8 verses, here they are:

What shall we say about such wonderful things as these?

If God is for us, who can ever be against us?

Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him for us all, won't he also give us everything else?

Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own?

Who then will condemn us?

Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love?

Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (Romans 8:31-37, NLT)

Those are such powerful questions. But, if you want to know how my mind works. These seven questions prompt my own questions:

- What wonderful things is he talking about?

- What does he mean by "against us?"

- Does God give us special blessings as his followers? What are they?

- What does it mean to be accused?

- As followers of JESUS aren't we condemned all the time?

- Why is it important for us to face troubles, calamity, persecution, hunger, or any of those other challenges of life? 

When you get to verses 38 and 39, you realize ALL OUR QUESTIONS, our curiosity, our inquisitiveness, all of our doubts, worries, and challenges are meaningless. THE VERSES that follow are the perfect response giving us ETERNAL HOPE regardless of our doubts or questions? HOW CAN WE EVER LOSE HOPE when we have GOD'S PERFECT LOVE?

"And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow -- not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below -- indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38-39, NLT)

Aren't those last two verses such a powerful response to ALL the questions raised by BOTH PAUL and ME? MY Questions and PAUL'S questions have the same origin. We are looking for hope. We are looking for hope in the midst of our questions, our doubts, our worries, our fears, and the trials we are facing. The words in verses 38 and 39 may not answer all the questions directly, but the greatest gift we receive is God's LOVE and that ANSWER is sufficient for ALL LIFE'S QUESTIONS. We have eternal hope and confidence because GOD LOVES US and is with us NOW and FOREVER MORE.