The Budding of Hope

It may seem odd, but for me, spring begins in January. I know that the season technically begins in mid-March, but it’s not as though all the flowers magically appear overnight on the vernal equinox. The coming of spring is a process.

Gardeners notice the first beginnings of spring growth much earlier than March. Here in the Pacific Northwest, the last few days of January usually bring with them biting cold and torrential rain, but also the sudden appearance of the very first snowdrops.

Once the snowdrops bloom, the domino-like sequence of flowers begins to pave the way for the brilliant (and allergy-inducing) abundance of the coming season. But it all begins with the snowdrops.

—You know, the budding of hope is a process as well.

Romans 5 gives us a glimpse at the process behind the hope in which we rejoice. (5:1-2)

“And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope:” (5:3)

Notice that the root of hope is tribulation. If life were just one eternal summer, with no storms, no bitter cold, no wind, we would never feel the hope that comes when the sun shines out bright and clear on the budding plants and singing birds. The same is true of life. If we never experienced trouble, we would have no need to hope for the joys and perfection of heaven. God allows us to go through tribulations in order to loosen our grip on this world and tune our focus on Himself.

 The product of these tribulations is the working of patience. Again, we would have no need of patience if there were never any tribulations. But God wants us to learn to bear patiently what He has allowed, with a trusting heart and submissive will. When we get to that place of trusting surrender, we experience the work of patience spoken of by James, who also acknowledges that trials bring forth patience:

“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” (James 1:2-4)

This perfect, or complete, work of patience brings us to a place where we are satisfied with what God has provided and allowed, and that is when our hearts are ready for the next stage of growth: experience.

I had to look up what that word experience meant. The sources I consulted pretty much agreed that the word means character, or even proven character. We will not grow in Christlike character until we are surrendered to the trials God sends for the purpose of developing that character in us. In the process of hope, trials activate the growth of patience, and patience prepares the character necessary for the blooming of hope.

You see, we never look on our lives with so much hope as when we are close to God, for He is the source of hope. And we are never closer to God than when He has removed all the distractions from around us and the props from beneath us. When He is our focus, when we have seen that nothing else can uphold us through our tribulations, then we also see the budding of hope.

After all, to have God as our Helper and Friend, our Sustainer and Defender, our source of strength and courage and wisdom: that is reason to hope!

And our hope is not a hope-so hope. Hebrews refers to this truth, saying,

“Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast…” (6:19a)

This buttresses the statement at the end of our passage in Romans 5:

“And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” (5:5)

Our hope is certain. When you face trials, you face them so that God can give you hope. And that hope brings with it the love of God, like a sunbeam bursting through the dark clouds to bring the bud of hope into full bloom.

So, are you facing tribulation with patience, submitted to what God has allowed? Are you allowing God to use the process to grow you up in Christlike character? And are you experiencing the joy of looking at life through the filter of certain hope?

If not, run to Him!

“Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.” (Romans 15:13)