Love ALWAYS Hopes

But, what about the times when things don't go as you'd hoped they would?
When God does work out the situation, and it isn't the way you hoped it would be?
What does Love do then???

Can I just say, God continuously delights my heart - by bringing these lessons home?
Last week He opened my eyes to my irritability.
Now He's allowing me to experience unfulfilled hope.
And, YES! These unasked-for incidents really are delighting my heart. Because the questions I posed above are real. If Love always hopes, what is Love supposed to do when it looks like hope has failed?
Friends, God is helping me to understand.
And this is the conclusion to which I have come: Love ALWAYS hopes.
When God works out a circumstance, and the workings are not as we hoped they would be,
Love keeps on hoping.

Do you remember the definition of hope we looked at Tuesday?
It comes from the Greek word elpis, and means: to hope, actively waiting for God's fulfillment about the faith He has inbirthed through the power of His love. On Tuesday, we focused on our role in this definition. The active part. But as we consider today's questions, I want to focus on God's role. You see, at the center of it all, it's all about HIM. GOD will fulfill the faith HE inbirthed through HIS love.
I believe GOD is Love's source of hope - and the reason Love ALWAYS hopes.
I wonder if you can relate to my situation this week? I hoped something would happen. I prayed about it, dreamed about it, and - quite frankly - probably spent too much time thinking about it. In my prayers I acknowledged that God's will was my desire - and I really hoped His will would intersect with mine.
But, it didn't.
And I was faced with a decision. What does Love do when what it hoped for isn't fulfilled?
It was like God whispered the answer to my heart, Well, dear Karen, do you think it's a mere coincidence that I've got you studying "Love always hopes" this week? When what you hoped for isn't fulfilled, remember: Love always hopes for MY fulfillment. For the fulfillment of that which is inspired by ME.
Ahhh. With that statement, HE opened my eyes.
The thing for which I was hoping was a product of my imagination. My will. It wasn't from HIM. I mean, it wasn't a "bad" thing - this hope of mine. But it was inspired by me - not God.
Sometimes I get confused between the two. Do you?
So, God reminded me that Love always hopes for what HE wills. Because what HE wills is always good, and always for good. And I believe implicit in that hope is complete trust in God's heart, and total faith in His sovereignty. When the object of our hope goes unfulfilled, Love believes it wasn't God's will, and continues to hope for His fulfillment about the faith He inbirthed through the power of His love.
Love says, Oops! I was wrong about that one. Thank You, LORD, for Your patience with me.

And Love goes right on hoping. ALWAYS.