K4D Rising #4

[K4D]

From Rejoice Ministries

God’s Hope
"Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him." Psalm 62:5 (NLT)

Don’t get your hopes up! How many times have your friends or family members said this to you? How many times have you said it to yourself? Don’t get your hopes up! Why not? The explanation is that if you get your hopes up and things don’t turn out like you want you’re going to be so disappointed. Well, things just may not turn out like you planned whether you get your hopes up or not. I don’t know about you, but hope is what keeps me going.

"You will be secure, because there is hope; you will look about you and take your rest in safety." Job 11:18

There is a difference between our hope in earthly things and our hope in the Lord. When we put our hope in circumstances or people or things that the world values, there is always a chance that we will be disappointed. We may hope against a divorce and when it happens anyway we are devastated. We may put our hope in a new job that turns out to be nothing like we imagined. We may hope for a change in circumstances that never materializes. We may put our hope in people who let us down and disappoint us.

But hope in God is different. This is the kind of hope that is always there, that never disappoints, that keeps us walking. It’s the kind of hope that serves as an anchor for our soul, keeping us grounded when the raging waves of circumstances threaten to overwhelm us. Jesus gives us hope where there is no earthly cause for it. There is no "maybe" with this kind of hope. It is confident expectancy.

"We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love." Romans 5:3-6 (NLT)

The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke recount the story of Jairus, a synagogue ruler. His daughter was dying and he had come to Jesus with hope that He would do the impossible and heal her. He didn’t hope in people or potions or programs. He hoped in Jesus. Jesus had agreed to go with him to his house, but had been delayed by the woman with the issue of blood. Meanwhile things had become even more impossible for Jairus.

"While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. 'Your daughter is dead,' he said. 'Don't bother the teacher any more.' Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, 'Don't be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.'" Luke 8:49-50

So where do you think Jairus was with his hope right about now? Don’t you think he would have looked at the circumstances – his daughter was dead – and given up his hope? Maybe he was thinking that not even Jesus could come against this. But Jairus did not give up his hope. He took his eyes from the circumstances and clung to his hope in Jesus and he was blessed.

Where are you with your hope? Are you listening to the people who are telling you your marriage is dead, it’s time to bury it, don’t bother Jesus anymore? Have you given up your hope? Do you think your situation is just too hard for Jesus? Be a Jairus. Take your eyes off the circumstances and fix them firmly on Jesus. Hope in God.

I know that sometimes it hurts to hope. It is much easier to give up our hope because we don’t want to hurt anymore. We are tired of the pain, tired of the roller coaster, tired of getting our hopes up just to have them dashed to pieces again. But stop and think. Where is our hope when we allow ourselves to be tossed back and forth by circumstances? Are we hoping in things or are we hoping in God? Are we looking at the impossibilities, or hoping in the God of the impossible? Are we going to be like the Shunammite woman who said to Elisha, "Didn’t I tell you 'Don’t raise my hopes!'" or like Abraham who in hope believed against all hope?

Where we place our hope is the most important thing. Hope in God never disappoints. The enemy would like nothing better than to steal this hope. For some of us, this is all we have left and he knows it. If he can get us to give up our hope in God, he knows what he can do with our hope in "things." We must guard this hope that lives in our hearts with everything we have. We may be discouraged and disheartened by events in our lives, but we must never give up our hope in God. It is much better to wake up in the morning with hope than without; with belief than without; with God than without. The hope will last much longer than the hurt.

"My heart is confident in you, O God; my heart is confident. No wonder I can sing your praises!" Psalm 57:7 (NLT)

"This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast..." Hebrews 6:19a (NASB)

How strong is your hope in the promises of God? Have you stepped across that faith line? Are you staying there? Don’t let the enemy steal your hope. Don’t let the darkness of the night extinguish the light of your hope. Don’t evaluate what God is doing by the way things look. Storms may be raging in our lives, but they can’t take away our hope. We trust in the Father of all hope; the One who rides the wings of the wind; the Creator of heaven and earth. Our hope in God is what makes this journey possible.

"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." Isaiah 40:31