Ingredient #1:
Hope
That’s where it all begins: with Hope. Hopes and dreams and soaring expectations of living
happily ever after. Hope for a soul-mate
who will always cherish and whose affections will never waiver. Who will whole-heartedly nurture the
children, and will thank God for the blessing of family. Dreams of children who grow up to become
responsible young adults, and who love the Lord with all their heart. Who will honor and respect the ones who
raised them. Fully expecting that life
will include financial stability, successful career, dynamic ministries, strong
health, faithful friends, supportive family.
Hopes, however, have a way of not turning out
exactly as expected. Somewhere in the process they can be broken, crushed, and
scrambled, until they take on a different form altogether. Barely recognizable as the dreams they once
were. Hopes fail.
Ingredient #2:
Grace
This is the most important ingredient: Grace. Without grace, the crushed hopes have a
tendency to become sour disappointments.
And disappointments, if left alone and unchecked, will never rise. If they are not attended to quickly, they
will become hard and bitter. Dangerous.
Toxic. They question the One who had
promised to answer prayer. God, where are You? How long will You remain silent and refuse to
answer my pleading? Do You not care?
But grace!
Ah, the sweet and fragrant essential grace that makes all the
difference. Grace that is fresh and succulent,
and every morning is readily available for the tasting. Grace that is a continual reminder that in
every circumstance, in every hard thing, there is a purpose. That God has a plan. That He is still good.
Grace remembers that broken dreams are not the
end. A lonely marriage, even a crumbling
marriage, is not the end. A grown child who
has chosen a dangerous, destructive path is not the end. Financial difficulties, unfulfilling careers,
fruitless ministries, debilitating diseases, friends and family who remain absent
when they are most needed . . . none of these are the end.
Grace keeps the heart tender and soft,
protecting it from hopelessness and despair.
It keeps the feet moving forward, even when the path is invisible and
frightening. It keeps the eyes on the
One who is able to make all things - even ugly, broken things - beautiful.1
Ingredient #3: Faith
Without grace, it would be impossible to locate
the secret ingredient: Faith. That very rare and precious element that is
so elusive and difficult to find.
Faith accepts the truth that the old hopes, the
ones that will never be able to truly satisfy, are crushed so that they can
make room for better ones.
Faith loosens the grip on vain things once held
dear, and reaches for something infinitely more precious. It embraces the God of Hope, the only One who
is able to fill the soul with joy and peace.
Who causes the soul to overflow with hope.2 A hope that will never disappoint.3
Faith clings, not to a lover, but to the Lover
of the Soul.
Faith finds solace, not in friends and family,
but in the Father.
Faith holds fast, not to dreams come true, not
to accomplishments, but to the One who has accomplished everything!
Ingredient #4: Peace
Of course the old hopes and dreams are not
quickly forgotten. The longings of the
heart are not easily erased. But the
Grace-Giver knows that. With the abundant
grace that He supplies, He makes it possible to find faith. And faith discovers, amazingly, that in the
letting go, there is freedom. With trust
comes perfect Peace.4 What
else can offer the blessed rest from the relentless striving? What else can offer the rest that the body so
desperately needs?5
Hope in people, in things, and in accomplishments are really just
burdens in disguise. Burdens, doing, the
endless pursuit to be loved, to be good enough, to achieve the longings of the
heart. They are too heavy for the shoulders that were
never meant to carry them.
And so the God of Hope removes them, and gently, lovingly replaces
them with Himself. He replaces
self-righteousness with His own righteousness.
And the result, the finished product, is Peace. A quiet, confident Peace.6
What an amazing gift!7 A gift that is so much richer and sweeter
than what could have been imagined. A
gift that can only come from trusting Him.8
Peace.
Peace that is abundant and refreshing and satisfying. Perfect peace that fills the heart and comforts
the soul. What could possibly be more
delicious?
1.
He has made everything beautiful in His time.
– Ecclesiastes 3:11
2.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and
peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the
power of the Holy Spirit. – Romans 15:13
3.
We also exult in our tribulations, knowing that
tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and
proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love
of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was
given to us. – Romans 5:3-5
4.
You will keep in perfect peace those whose
minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. – Isaiah 26:3
5.
In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you
alone, Lord make me dwell in safety. – Psalm 4:8. A heart at peace gives life to the
body. – Proverbs 14:30
6.
The fruit of that righteousness will be peace;
its effect will be quietness and confidence forever. – Isaiah 32:17
7.
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. –
John 14:27
8.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as
you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the
Holy Spirit. – Romans 15:13
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