Rejoice in Hope!

Rejoice in Hope!

Rejoicing over what God has done for me and in me and over what He has given me is simple, straightforward, and natural. Nevertheless, it is easy to forget it and neglect to do it, so that it is necessary to be exhorted to it. “Rejoice . . . . Again I will say, rejoice!” Phil. 4:4. “Rejoice always . . . .” 1 Thess. 5:16.

However, rejoicing in hope is totally different, and it is considerably less known and practiced. We are saved in hope. Yet we do not hope for what we see or have already received or tasted or experienced, but we hope for what has been promised and has still not occurred and what we have still not received or tasted.

The person whose hope is in Him or who hopes for the fulfillment of what He has promised will not be put to shame. It is coming! It is absolutely certain!

The fact that Paul gives us this exhortation is something to rejoice over. It is precisely this joy that is such a tremendous motivation on the way to it. The only thing that can hinder it from filling our hearts is if we doubt God’s promises.

If you do not always gain the victory over sin, it is important for you to hope and believe God’s promises, so that you consider every fall as something preliminary, something temporary with which you will be finished sooner or later. Yes, indeed! The joy of hope will bear you up in battle!

When you thus have first and foremost, the joy of hope bubbling up in you, and in addition soon live in a constant joy of victory, then how indescribably great and glorious and active your joy will be?!

This two-fold strength of joy is very useful during the time of our sojourn! And how will it be when the time of our sojourn is soon over???!!! Comfort one another with these words, precious friends!

What shall a person do when he has fallen in a sin? Jump up again, and then rejoice and be glad in living hope of complete victory in the future! This temporary matter will soon end and will be replaced by constant victory on all fronts! Hallelujah!

What should we never do in in any case? Never lose courage! Never give up!

What shall we always do? Always rejoice greatly in hope!!!

Many people have had the idea (past tense!) that it was wrong to rejoice when they were doing so badly that they suffered defeat. Our bitter opponent pestered them with thoughts that they were being insincere and hypocritical; in their case, it would be wrong to hope. Hopelessness would therefore be the correct and good thing that pleased God. Or, if you possessed this hope, you should rather be grieved, sorrowful, and weighed down?! No! No, that is wrong! The solution is what the Scriptures exhort us to: Rejoice in hope!