But if I can remember the goodness of God, I can also remind myself that whatever He allows in my life He intends for my ultimate good.
Tomorrow my husband begins chemotherapy—again. Eight years ago, doctors diagnosed John with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. When we first heard the word cancer, our hearts filled with fear, not hope. But the oncologist told John that if he had to get cancer, this brand of lymphoma was one of the best kinds to get. New chemotherapies had made great progress in treating the disease. Thankfully, after six months of treatments, my husband experienced remission with the caveat that the cancer might return. Still, we praised God for His healing power through modern medicine.
Unfortunately, a few weeks ago, the oncologist’s caveat came true. We received the news that the lymphoma has returned, this time combined with chronic sarcoidosis and some other auto-immune issues. Once again, the doctors tell us that chemotherapy should effectively treat the disease, but our hearts contain a mixture of sorrow at the return of the cancer and uncertainty about the road ahead. Still, we grasp on to hope because we have some well-founded confidence in medical solutions and complete trust that whatever God wills is best.
Even though my circumstances do not inspire it, here are seven reasons I still choose hope:
God Is Hope
I can grab onto hope because my God is the God of hope. In Romans 15:13, the Apostle Paul encourages his readers with these words, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope” (ESV). My heavenly Father is the source of hope. And the hope He gives is not like ordinary wishful thinking. We might say, “I hope it doesn’t rain tomorrow,” knowing that we have no assurance of a cloudless day. But our hope in God is certain. We can have confidence in the One who holds the universe—and our hearts—together. We do not even need to manufacture this hope on our own. The Holy Spirit places it in our hearts so that even when the world around us looks hopeless, we can still have a supply of joyful expectation in the God who holds us through every difficulty and assures us of an eternal happy ending.
God Is Faithful
I still choose hope when I remember how God has helped me in the past. Psalm 42 is one of my go-to passages when, like the psalmist, I feel that “my tears have been my food day and night” (verse 3). When I’ve been on a steady diet of weeping and despair, I try to adopt the psalmist’s method of giving a pep talk to my soul, “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation” (Psalm 42:5). The psalmist pushes himself to remember times of shouting joyful praise to God (verse 4). He reminds himself of God’s great love for him and how God is with him even in the darkest night (verses 7-8). When I remember how God stood with us during my husband’s last bout with cancer, I can confidently tell my soul, “Why are you so down and blue? You know God will get you through this. Once again, you will praise Him for all He has done.”
God Is Power and Love
I can hold on to hope because God’s power and love inspire my confidence in Him. Psalm 33 is a catalog of God’s awesome character traits. He is faithful (verse 4). He loves righteousness and justice (verse 5). He made the heavens, stars, and planets with a word (verse 6). He created the deep oceans (verse 7). He is in control of all the nations of the world (verses 10-12). He watches over all the inhabitants of the earth (verses 13-15). His love for us is faithful and constant (verse 18). The psalm closes with, “Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you” (verse 22). Because of a faithful, powerful, and loving God, I can confidently put my hope in Him.
God Listens
I still choose hope because the God of the universe hears my prayers. In Psalm 65, David gives a crash course in God’s power. He praises God for being the One who formed majestic mountains, quieted raging oceans, and watered the thirsty earth. He worships the Creator’s astounding power and tells Him, “You faithfully answer our prayers with awesome deeds, O God our Savior, you are the hope of everyone on earth” (Psalm 65:5 NLT). Like David, I am amazed that the God who created the universe listens to me. He keeps the planets in their orbits yet pauses to hear my cries. Simply the fact that I am heard helps me take the next step and the next.
God Restores
I can grasp onto hope because God daily refills my heart with love and mercy. Lamentations 3:22-24 says,
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.”
How can such a hopeful passage occur in a book of lament? The prophet Jeremiah spends five chapters lamenting the fact that the people of God have been taken captive and relocated far from the Promised Land. Yet, in the middle of his tears, he talks to himself. He reminds his heart that God’s love never ends and His mercies never cease. In fact, God’s supply of grace is replenished every morning. Because I can get a fresh infusion of grace every day, I can hope in God.
God Is Good
I still choose hope because God has good plans for my life. When we received the news that the lymphoma had returned, I admit I did not call these circumstances good. In times of illness, financial difficulties, or broken relationships, we may wonder what God is doing. Why is everything going wrong? Why is everything so hard? We may even doubt the words of Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” But if I can remember the goodness of God, I can also remind myself that whatever He allows in my life He intends for my ultimate good. The Hebrew words for hope in this verse can also be translated as “an expected or longed for end.” God’s plans look ahead to a glorious ending where all my longings are met. Because His nature is complete goodness, He never has evil plans for us. What we see now may lead us to doubt that fact, but God’s ultimate, expected, hopeful end is eternally perfect in Christ.
God Uses Trials to Produce Hope
I can choose hope even in problems and trials because those very difficulties produce hope. Romans 5:3-4 says, “suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.” Even though I don’t like it, hope is a byproduct of hard times. So even while my husband must endure another season of chemotherapy and I endure another season of waiting, we know that God is weaving perseverance, character, and hope in our hearts. I would rather get this character and hope another way and on my timetable, but I’m learning to trust the God who knows all things. The One who can see the end from the beginning.
In this season of chemotherapy treatments, PET scans, and seemingly endless doctor appointments, my hope could become threadbare. But I plan to post these seven hopeful verses where I can see them every day to remind my heart that my God is the God of hope. I will remember that God used the treatments in the past to heal my husband. I will put my hope in the God who has power over the whole universe yet stoops down to hear my prayers. I will go to Him daily for a fresh supply of hope and grace. I will remember that God has good plans for my husband and me and that even though these times are not what I would choose, they can generate hope and character. I will choose hope—in God.
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Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/Pascal Debrunner
Sharla Fritz is a Christian author and speaker who weaves honest and humorous stories into life-changing Bible study. Author of the new book Measured by Grace: How God Defines Success, Sharla writes about God’s transforming grace and unfailing love. Sharla lives in the Chicago suburbs with her amusing pastor husband. Get her FREE ebook 21 Five-Minute Soul-Rest Practices or connect with Sharla at www.sharlafritz.com and Facebook.
