And character...hope.

Romans chapter 5 says, "And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character, and character, hope".

I have been reflecting on this verse a lot lately. I understand how suffering produces perseverance and how perseverance produces character. What I have been thinking about is how character produces hope. I think hope comes from our faith in God. I can't imagine living a life without hope and without being able to rest in this promise: "For I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" Jeremiah 29:11. That verse is widely known and quoted. Most people miss the context for this promise. God had just sent His people into exile in Babylon. He promised to come back after 70 years and bring them back to Jerusalem. That is when He tells them that He knows the plans He has for them. Then God says, "Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart" (vs 12-13). The plans and hope and future God promised to His people did not come without trust and suffering (because of the exile).

Character is built through perservance. We persevere when we are tested, tempted, and tried. And the character that is built supplies us with hope that our suffering and trials bring us closer to God and closer to what He wills for us.

I rejoice in knowing that God knows exactly when we are going to have a baby. He already knows everything about our children. What they will look like, how they will act, how Josh and I will cherish and treasure them every single day. So, we wait. And we persevere, and build character, and rest in our hope.