Real Hope: Abundant ProvisionSample

Gratitude And Hope

One Christian writer I respect very much, Lewis Smedes, not long before his death said that as he grew older his ‘feelings about God have tapered down to gratitude and hope. Gratitude is the pleasure of hope come true. Hope is the pain of gratitude postponed.’

Hope is one of the hardest things we practise as disciples of Jesus. As our text reminds us, it involves waiting for something we don’t yet have. And yet it is confident waiting. What God has promised will come true. But not yet. So does this mean we don’t experience gratitude till hopes are fulfilled?

Not really. We are grateful for what we have received already. We only have a taste of heaven through the ministry of God’s Spirit, but it is at least a taste. We enjoy many good gifts here and now and we must not let the fact that we don’t have it all deny us the appreciation of what we already have.

And also, we are thankful for the recognition that one day all promises will be fulfilled. It is anticipatory gratitude that requires patience and steady faith in the faithfulness of God. We always have something for which to be grateful. We always have something for which to hope.

Written by DAVID REAY