~ Trust in Him: Hope ~
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
— Romans 15:13
My small dog is 13. This sweet little fellow has never had his teeth cleaned due to a spouse who wouldn’t approve the funds for things like that and who held onto the purse strings tightly.
Finally, the little guy’s teeth started falling out on their own and it became a critical issue since not taking care of a dog’s teeth properly can lead to other issues and shorten their lives. By then the abusive spouse was out of the picture, but he had taken all my life’s savings with him as well as a large loan from my bank which he defaulted on, ruining MY credit. Once more, there were no funds for things like teeth cleanings and my own health needs.
I saved up for a year to get my fur friend’s teeth cleaned, but still didn’t have needed the funds, when a friend offered to help. Today was the big day. I was concerned about his age, concerned about how long he had gone with infections and decay in his mouth as I drove to the vet. It is sometimes hard not to worry when things have been a struggle for so long.
But then I noticed a truck in front of me with the large word HOPE printed on the back of the truck. As I got a bit closer, I could make out Romans 15:13 under the word HOPE.
I wasn’t as anxious the rest of the short trip to the vet, because I had been reminded again to hope. And as I drove, I realized this little dog’s life had been a lesson in hope in many ways, from the unexpected way I got him, to the way he had recovered from a bad injury my husband inflicted, to the way a friend had offered to help get his teeth cleaned and removed when my own efforts had failed.
When I got home, I quickly looked up Romans 15:13. It reads: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
I am still concerned about my little fuzzy gentleman, but I am not nearly as anxious. I have been reminded that when the future looks uncertain and when my own efforts have failed, there is always HOPE.
As Paul puts it in Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
Just because things sometimes look bleak does not mean we are without hope for things to get better, for small miracles to be granted, for the unexpected helping hand of a friend or stranger.
Trust in Him and never lose hope!
