Have you ever been in a place where you don't feel like hoping anymore? Maybe there have been just one too many situations where you were hopeful for one outcome only for it to fail and let you down. I know how you feel, friend. It can feel like a heart break, when you are told no when you wanted it so badly. Maybe you are still single when you long for a spouse, or you got denied the job you really wanted, or the friend you keep inviting to church still hasn't accepted the invitation. Maybe you are not where you thought you would be in your life at (insert age here). When googled, hope is defined as a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen. I think we all know this definition well.
When I kept scrolling, I found another definition of hope that was less familiar.
Hope- a feeling of trust.
"The Lord values those who fear Him, those who put their hope in His faithful love."Psalm 147:11
If there is one thing I know and believe is that God's love never fails. I think hope looks like directing it towards the Lord instead of other situations. If hope can also mean trust, then we should put all of our trust in Jesus who has unfailing love. Jesus is trustworthy and has proven it by dying for you and me then coming back to life to live and rule forever. In a world of chaos and uncertainty, Jesus is constant and never changing. You may never understand fully why you got rejected from that dream job, or why you have just turned 40 and are still single as a pringle. But having hope is knowing that no matter what, the Lord is good. The Lord is faithful. The Lord loves you. If you ask any child what they want to eat for dinner, you will most likely get answers like ice cream, cookies, or candy. The child thinks they know what is best for them, but these are obviously not good dinner choices. It is the same way with us and God. He is the Good Father and knows what is best for us. It is impossible to try and figure out God's plan and know what He will do next. For us control freaks, this seems like a nightmare. But if you choose to put your hope in Christ, you can be relieved and know that He cares for you more than the birds and the flowers that He provides for daily.
"Consider the birds of the sky: They don't sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren't you worth more than they?" Matthew 6:26
He will take you to places you would never expect. And ultimately He will use you for His glory, if you are willing. So what will you put your hope in? A job, a man or woman, a house, a friend, a dream, yourself? Or will you give it all to the perfect creator of the universe and allow Him to take you to places you can't even imagine? I choose to put my hope in the Savior. Because Father knows best.
Comments