Love Hopes All Things (1 Cor. 13:4-7)

Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
(1 Corinthians 13:4-7, NASB)

Love hopes all things.

Hope is one of my favorite words. Hope. Anticipation.

I especially like Webster’s definition: to “cherish a desire with anticipation” or to “expect with confidence.”

When we love with hope, we anticipate good things from and with the ones we love. We have confidence in their love for us. We hope for a bright future.

As I mentioned a couple of days ago, Russ and I have been together for over 27 years, and we just celebrated our 24^th wedding anniversary last month. I still anticipate what’s ahead. I still “expect with confidence” that we have amazing times in store for us. And my hope is that we’ll love each other even more through the coming years!

We Christians live with an even greater hope: eternity in heaven with our Lord God. Talk about “cherish[ing] a desire with anticipation”! I desire nothing more than shedding this earthly skin and being in the very presence of my Lord and Savior. I live in hope for that day.

Where is your hope? Can you really “expect with confidence” the things of this world? Certainly, you can place your hope in trusted people on earth, but your hope—your only real hope—should be in the One who will never leave you or forsake you (Heb. 13:5). The One who loves you with an everlasting love (Jer. 31:3).

Place your hope in Him.