Where do you hope? Where and with whom do you trust? 

Think about the people close to you. Who do you hope will do the right thing and who do you trust will do the right thing? For me, even with the people I trust the most, whether or not they will “do the right thing” may depend on the circumstance. This makes me even more appreciative of being a Christian!

Paul tells the Romans that we, as Christians, hope in what we do not see. (8:24-25) That makes sense. Who hopes for something that has already happened? That is the challenge in hope – there is no guarantee that it will come to pass. It is our faith that brings us hope in the Lord.

Trust is different. I completely trust God. Not that I expect God to answer every prayer of mine as I desire (that may be my hope!). But I absolutely trust that God wants only the best for me, and will take care of me in any and every circumstance. Oh, I am aware that what is best for me may not be what I hope for. In fact, sometimes what is best for me is quite painful and a very tough lesson to learn. But I trust that God indeed knows best and will never leave me.

One of my favorite verses is from Proverbs (3:5-6): “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on [my] own understanding”. For me, trust is the realization of past hope. There are things I no longer “hope” for because I have experienced God’s goodness, mercy and provision in times when I could see no way out of the darkness, no good on the horizon. God knows; I do not. 

Today, I hope that what God has planned for me in the future is not another disaster bringing me to personal devastation. But if it is, I wholly trust that God will be right there with me, will equip me with what I need and will have already fortified me to see it through. I trust it is for God’s greater good. And I trust that, once again, I will come out of whatever that darkness is with newly fulfilled hope and an even deeper trust in my God.

-Adele DiNatale-Svetnicka