Hope Delivered

“And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:20b (NLT)

Shortly after having our third child, my husband took a huge leap of faith and left the corporate world to make a career switch.  He had hoped this change would allow more time with our family, but when this did not pan out, he found himself returning to the corporate ladder on a much lower rung.  His salary was barely of third of what it had been.  Even on the tightest possible budget, we found ourselves dipping into our savings each month to get by. 

We could survive like this for only six months or so before our financial situation became truly dire.  God had never failed to provide for us.  And yet, in our current precarious financial situation, we were still afraid. 

Jesus warned His disciples several times of what would happen before the crucifixion. “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men” Jesus tells the disciples in Matthew 17:22-23. “They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life.” 

The disciples knew what to expect. Jesus had given them the whole story in advance. Repeatedly. Yet, when it came time to experience what Jesus told them, fear still found its way in. As they experienced the first half of the story, they lost sight of the hope Jesus gave them of His return. The same thing can happen to us.

The final words Matthew records Jesus saying are, “And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20b) No matter what their experiences going forward, Jesus would always be with His disciples. This same hope is on offer to us. Jesus expects that life will have its challenges, but He also intends for us to experience hope in His presence as we go through them.

My husband and I decided that instead of allowing fear to steal our peace for those six uncertain months, we would instead rest in hope.  God not only delivered another better paying job for my husband before we hit financial rock bottom, but He was also present with us through each second of what we were facing.  When I think back on those months, what I remember most clearly is not fear or the uncertainty of our future, but the joy and peace we felt that only His hope can provide.