Praise will Flow from a Heart that has Hope

Romans 8:22-25, For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance. NKJV

Christians have an eternal hope that Christ is returning one day for us. Everyone that has this hope, according to John's epistle purifies themselves. The hope that Christ gives us causes Christians to behave, talk, live, relate, give, and etc. differently than people who are lost. If we are cognoscente of the fact that Jesus is returning one day, and that this world isn't our final resting place, it puts a fire in our hearts to live a disciplined life...a life that is free from the lusts and cares of this world.

Eternal hope should have an impact on every area, and in every day of our lives on this earth. It can, and will give you strength to endure with patience a fiery trial. Hope in Christ can prevent us from having a sour attitude toward God, life, or those around us. Hope empowers us to rise above the temptation to live in our flesh.

Acts 16:16-19, Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, "These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation." And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." And he came out that very hour. But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities. NKJV

Can you imagine leading someone to Christ, so that they are able to experience the hope that you have, and then find yourself being beaten for it, and thrown into prison? Yet, this happened to Paul and Silas one day as they were going to pray.

After they had beaten Paul and Silas, they threw them into the inner dungeon where it was dark and nasty. There's no way to describe the Roman jails of Paul's time to us who live in America... with prisons that have heat, air, and television for the inmates. Nevertheless, about the midnight hour, Paul and Silas, even though they still had their own dried blood on their backs from the beating began praising God.

You're probably wondering how they could be in such a horrific situation, and find the strength or desire to praise God. Perhaps it seems impossible to find anything about the treatment of these men of God that is praise worthy. Didn't Paul instruct us in all things to be thankful? Remember we have a hope that causes us to even think differently than others. Look back at the passage that the Lord had me to highlight for this devotion. Paul experienced what it was like to be beaten and held in bondage in chains, and waiting for God's salvation through hope. It was about the midnight hour that Paul felt the hope of God's delivering power filling his heart, and they began to sing and praise the Lord. As they were lifting up the Lord, God's presence began to shake the foundation of that prison, and the doors flung open.

It was so dark, when the commotion woke up the jailer, that he couldn't see if the prisoners had escaped. They were praising God in complete darkness. When he saw no prisoners, the jailer took a sword and was about to kill himself, but Paul yelled out at him. "We're all still here." How is it that the jailer couldn't see them... but Paul was able to see the jailer? Chew on that a moment! The jailer came to the place where Paul and Silas were being held, and asked how he might be saved.

Isn't that just like our God? The salvation of a girl got him in prison, and now the salvation of a jailer is about to get him out! It was at that very hour the jailer and his entire household were saved and baptized. Paul had a hope that praised God... even in a Roman prison. We have a hope that can cause us to praise God when there's nothing in the natural worthy of praise, because we have the Deliverer living on the inside of us. Praise will flow out of your heart, especially in adversity, because you know God is faithful to deliver us from every affliction.

Help is on the way,
Pastor Asa