Light of Hope –
Jeremiah 29:11 (NASB) says, “For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.” God is our hope amid this fallen and darkened world. Hope is an expectation that is built on confidence in God’s promises to us. Hope is found in God and in God’s word. Discussing hope makes me think of Gideon and Deborah. God chooses to use those who seem most unlikely and the world might hold little expectation of. In Judges, we read about a time when Israel had fallen into disobedience (Judges 2:10-11). We find Deborah, a prophetess, who summoned Barak to go up against Sisera and the Canaanites (Judges 4:3-10). God used Deborah to be a leader during a turbulent time to show the opportunity for victory and hope that can be gained with someone that we might not associate with those things. We also find Gideon in Judges 6. Gideon describes himself in Judges 6:15 (CSB) as, “Please, Lord, how can I deliver Israel? Look, my family is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s family.” God sees what we are unable to. He sees what does not yet exist. Gideon does deliver Israel from the Midianites, but God is who receives the Glory. Judges 7:22-23 (CSB) says, “Then the Israelites said to Gideon, ‘Rule over us, you as well as your sons and your grandsons, for you delivered us from the power of Midian.’ But Gideon said to them, ‘I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the Lord will rule over you.” We are given opportunities to be part of God’s plan and bring hope to the hopeless. We are given opportunities to be obedient when God is calling us to serve. We are called to be a leader, to be a friend, to be a rope-holder for others. In Acts 9 we read about Paul and his conversion from Christian persecutor to Jesus-follower after his encounter with Jesus on the Damascus Road. He is later lowered in a large basket through an opening in a wall. He is held by his disciples, which held the rope for him to escape. These rope-holders were needed for Paul to fulfill God’s purpose in his life. Our hope must be placed in God and God will appoint people in our lives to fulfill His plan for us. Isaiah 40:31(NIV) states, “but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” There are times when we feel the struggles of difficult situations arise and it might be a challenge to feel hopeful. At times we lose hope and are filled with overwhelming doubt. But we must not get inundated with negative thoughts. Negative thoughts perpetuate negative thinking. 1 Peter 5:10 (ESV) states, “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself, restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” When our hope is in Lord Jesus Christ, it is the most powerful thing one can have. Hope lifts our heads when we are in despair and transforms us into a feeling of peace and serenity. Hope dries our eyes from tears of sorrow and moves us to a feeling of comfort and joy. Hope takes our weakness and gives us a feeling of perseverance. Hope helps us to move one foot in front of the other even when we feel overcome and worn out. Romans 15:13 (NIV) says, “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.” The enemy wants nothing more than to make us feel hopeless. The enemy thrives on reminding us of our weaknesses and our failures. The enemy uses our thoughts, our past, our pain, our emotions, and our shortcomings. However, God calls us His. He is a promise keeper; He is a covenant maker. 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (ESV) states, “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” The things of this world are temporary. The things that are unseen are infinite and unending. We must not lose heart. Each day is a new day of hope and has transforming power. We must hold on to the hope that Father God has given us through the blood of Jesus Christ. His birth, death, and resurrection are a concrete representation of hope in this world. Job 11:17-18 (CSB) says, “You will be confident because there is hope. You will look carefully about and lie down in safety. You will lie down without fear, and many will seek your favor.” The hope of the Lord gives us confidence and strength. Faith is the foundation of our hope. Hope makes the impossible, possible. Max Lucado states, “Build your life on the promises of God. Since his promises are unbreakable, your hope will be unshakeable. The winds will still blow. The rain will still fall. But in the end, you will be standing – standing on the promises of God” (Unshakable Hope, p. 165). Hebrews 6:19 (NASB) says, “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both secure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil.”
Song: I Have This Hope – Tenth Avenue North