Ever had a day when you think something is going to go wrong? It’s hard to describe but a disturbing feeling that just around the corner is your looming doom. Thankfully it doesn’t happen every day as I am an optimist on most days. But without Christ I don’t think I would be all that positive. Look what Christ does for each one of us: We have peace with God, access to God and now the Apostle writes, we also have a hope to live by.
And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. (Romans 5 v 3-4)
We have joyful confidence in the absolute certainty that we have a future past our death.
This is how we live and it carries us around every corner and through every storm.
Even through suffering this hope/absolute confidence is growing more and more because we don’t give up in the difficult days and a resolve develops because of what lies ahead, our glorious eternal life. That’s how people survive their persecution and their heartaches in this life: He gives hope!
Missions Paul 