Anchored in Now FaithSample

HOPE

There is a scripture that I have included in my prayers over the years, Proverbs 13:12 NIV, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick.” This scripture was part of my petition for God to hear my earnest plea when I was feeling hopeless. I included this scripture in a message I ministered at a church. I wanted to do a deep dive into that particular scripture for context. For some reason I had not heard the remainder of that scripture,“But a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.” I kept asking myself “How did I miss this for years?” When I re-read that scripture in its totality it opened my mind to see hope from a whole new perspective.

To have hope is to look forward with reasonable confidence, belief, desire, and trust. Hope is one of the three elements of Godly Character. It is a dynamic to faith. Because Christ is the center of hope, we wouldn’t have anything to hope for if it wasn’t for what he did on the cross to save us from ourselves. When you have hope it creates an atmosphere of joy and happiness and decreases stress and the notion of helplessness and hopelessness.

A few years ago, I had a dream about a friend’s daughter. Her name is Hope. In the dream, I was sitting on the bleachers at a football game, and someone says to me in the dream, “Don’t lose Hope.” When I woke up I knew that dream didn’t have anything to do with my friend's daughter. What I knew God was telling me was, “I know life is beating you up my child, but whatever you do, don’t lose HOPE.”

I know it is hard to maintain a posture full of hope when life is throwing darts, and the dart is hitting right in the middle of your heart. Especially when life challenges are coming in full force with no reprieve for a long period of time. Take a moment to be honest with God about where you are so he can restore your faith and your belief in him. The most important thing to do is look up and not out. When people fail, God’s love will never fail.

I want to encourage you that if you have found yourself with your back up against the wall, quote the scripture Psalm 37:25, “I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor seed begging for bread.” When your hope seems like it is getting buried, know God is right there to give you “the hope that fills the desires of your heart according to Psalm 37:4.” That longing will be fulfilled as branches on your tree of life spread.

Prayer:

Father God, I thank you that when all hope is lost I can find my peace, joy and fulfillment in you.