Weekly Devotional
The Price We Must Be Willing to Pay to Obtain Hope When Standing for Restoration!
The Price We Must Be Willing to Pay to Obtain Hope When Standing for Restoration! “For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.” - Romans 8:24-25 (NIV) Las week, we looked at the process that God uses to increase our hope, joy, and peace. Today, we are going to highlight the price we must be willing to pay for this supernatural hope. Like it or not, there is a price all standers must be willing to pay if we are going to receive supernatural hope and, in fact, see the marriage restored. I know nobody likes to have to pay a price for something if we don’t have to, and as Christians, we often say everything was bought at Calvary. Yes, this is absolutely correct. Jesus paid for all our sins when He died on the cross. Your salvation has been purchased, and no further payment is needed. But, if we are going to walk out what was purchased by Jesus, we still must be willing to pay for what is needed that our flesh so often tries to reject. So what price must standers pay for supernatural hope that their marriage will be restored? It’s found in Romans 8:24-25 (NIV): “For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.” In this verse, we see what I believe every stander must accept and be willing to pay. What is the cost? The cost of “waiting patiently for something we can’t see happening!” I believe it is mandatory that when you stand for your marriage, you accept that you might not see a lot of positive signs of restoration in the natural. I hear many standers complain about what they don’t see happening and I hear in great detail all they see that is wrong. It breaks my heart when this happens because the scripture is so clear on how we receive the supernatural hope available to us, and these actions, by many standers, block hope from coming to them. The apostle Paul wrote to the Romans, “But hope that is seen is no hope at all.” Then he goes on later in the verse, “But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.” In this verse, you see clearly that if you want to experience Heaven’s hope, you must wait patiently for something you do not see evidence of. So today, I want you to ask yourself how willing you are to pay this price for hope. Are you willing to have hope for something when you see no evidence of it? How about when you see it actually going in the other direction? Now, the kicker: Are you willing to pay the price of patience? Will you pay with time, with the calendar changing, with anniversaries and holidays going by? I know you want your restoration to happen today. There is nothing wrong with that. I stand here believing that today is your day of restoration. But I am not a good pastor, prophet, or friend if I don’t show you that the supernatural hope God wants to give you will come at a cost. You must accept and pay the price of waiting patiently for something you do not see evidence of. I so desperately pray that you pay the price. Do not allow what you see in the natural and your seeming lack of progress to block your hope. The emotions can be overwhelming, but the hope of Heaven is real and available! You can do it! This will be the best purchase you ever make for your marriage. So today, allow God to fill you with His hope as you wait patiently for something you do not yet see.
