Finding and Defining Hope When Hope Hides - Denise Pass
Hope Discovery of the Day:
Hope is in the hurt that pains our souls. It is in the laughter that springs from joy in our hearts. Hope is everywhere if we search for it and found by those who persevere.
Scripture of the Day:
Proverbs 13:12
“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.”
Psalm 42:5
“Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him For the help of His presence.”
Staring at the trees swaying in the wind, I mused at the analogy to our lives. The winds blow and we rock back and forth through life’s multiple hurdles, but when we are firmly embedded in God’s Word, we stay planted. I am always amazed at how those stubborn roots can hold such massive, tall trees when wild weather threatens to bring them down. Roots anchored to the foundation, those trees aren’t going anywhere.
That’s what hope is. It is an anchor holding onto a firm foundation. The might of the trees is not where their strength comes from. It is the inner workings hidden where no one can see that give the trees their impenetrable stability.
So it is with us. Hope is not dependent on anything external. It is hidden in our hearts while we call on the Name of our great God. It is fixated on Him, our unchanging God, the Author and the Finisher of our faith.
The hope God has for us is not just in the good times. It is not snuffed out by the bad times, either. Hope is in the hurt that pains our souls. It is in the laughter that springs from joy in our hearts. Hope is everywhere if we search for it – and found by those who persevere.
Hope is knowing and trusting God. It is not necessarily seeing a dream realized, though that can be wonderful to see. It is not dependent upon anything temporal. Biblical hope is in God alone. It is His presence in all of life’s crises. Hope is in Christ alone.
When the storms of life crash down and try to steal our hope, knowing what hope is can help to remind us that our hope is in another place entirely.
Lord, thank You for being our ever-present hope and help in times of trouble. We look to You, Abba Father, as our refuge and faithful hope.
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