Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Romans 5:5 . . . hope does not disappoint . . .
WORDS NOT FOUND IN THE EASTER DICTIONARY: DISAPPOINTMENT
Detroit Tiger fans are thinking this is their year? But even Minnesota Twins fans are dreaming of October glory. In April, hope springs eternal. No matter what the prognosticators may say, every fan believes his team has a chance. But in the middle of June will disappointment set in when your team finds itself 15 games out of first place?
Disappointment. We hope, we dream, we work hard to achieve a goal, but the result is so often disappointment.
Much of our disappointment has to do with people. Political figures let us down. Even usually dependable friends and family members will disappoint us at times. We ourselves make promises and fail to keep them, disappointing those who were counting on us. In this sinful, imperfect world just about everything and everyone is a source of disappointment in one way or another. And disappointment can be a very bitter pill to swallow.
But disappointment is another word not found in the Easter Dictionary. The risen Savior will never let us down. For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20).
The living Christ will never fail you, dear child of God. You never have to wonder if he will forgive you, or answer your prayers, or work things out in your life for your eternal good.
Best of all, when you stand before your Maker on Judgment Day, you won't be disappointed. Easter says sin, death, and hell have been conquered by God's Son. That means there is no doubt whatsoever that you will be welcomed into that inheritance prepared for you from the foundation of the world. That means that you will be raised up and glorified and will live with God and His people forever. Our hope in Christ is a guaranteed hope -- a hope that will in no way disappoint.
But what about all the disappointments of this life? When we keep the focus on Jesus, whatever disappointments we may experience can't get us down too far. The one who can never disappoint us will help us deal with those situations and those people who sometimes let us down. Easter surely takes the bitterness out of any disappointment we may experience as we await our dear Lord's return.
