A few days ago, a fragment of a verse of Scripture set in motion a cascade of thoughts in my heart. It was, in a sense, a light that was shining in a dark place. It brought comfort. It brought strength. It brought perspective.
The fragment was this: Hope maketh not ashamed. In Scriptural context, we find this fragment in the fifth chapter of the Book of Romans.
[1] Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
Romans 5:1-5 (KJV)
[2] By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
[3] And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
[4] And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
[5] And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
Even as I write this, I can still sense the weight of that fragment. I remember asking immediately; Why does hope not make ashamed? The Apostle answered this question by saying that hope does not make ashamed because of the reality of the love of God abounding in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.
What does this mean? Remember that this train of thought in Scripture started with tribulation and, through a series of inner-working, we arrive at hope. Now that our experience of tribulations has been converted to hope, can we hold on? This seems to be the bigger challenge.
Perhaps we can venture to go through tribulations and reach the reality of hope, but then what next? Can God be trusted to deliver the promise(s) of the hope formed in us? Is there any reason we have to hold on to hope or we have entered into a risky proposition?
It is at this point I started to understand that the reason we would not be ashamed having latched on to hope is not rooted primarily in the hope itself or in our commitment to the processes we are going through. The reason why hope maketh not ashamed is the love of God in our hearts.
This seems obvious. I mean, it’s in the verse, but ponder for a minute about it. Hope does not make us ashamed, that is, we are in a sense guaranteed to receive the full delivery of hope because the basis for it is rooted in the love of God for us.
I’m saying that you can be rest assured in the hope you have come to possess because it is been bankrolled by the Love of God. This love is so sure – so present – that God desires to marinate our hearts with it by the Holy Ghost.
Beloved, when we hope in God, we can be assured of the delivery of that hope, because of the love of God that we find at work in our hearts. That love is God’s signature; it is His signet and seal.
To add another thought, hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God in our hearts creates room for expectation. In most instances, nothing in our context is hope-friendly, often times we live in contexts entirely contrary to hope, but oh the Love of God in our hearts, that tethers us to the one who has promised, the one we are to glory in!
On a final note, the Apostle calls us to Glory in tribulations knowing that the end point is a hope that maketh not ashamed. As if to say that the path way to unashamed hope starts with tribulations.
So next time you come into a phase of tribulation, consider it an opportunity to latch unto the channel that leads to a hope in God that maketh not ashamed.
Selah.
In Plain Sight 
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