I’ll never forget the trouble, the utter lostness, the taste of ashes, the poison I’ve swallowed. I remember it all—oh, how well I remember—the feeling of hitting the bottom.(Lamentations 3:19-20 The Message Bible))
Have you felt like this? Lost, alone, the feeling of sinking, disappointment after disappointment, helpless, disempowered, anxious, that no-one really cares?
Where do you turn to in times like this? Where does your hope…your expectation and desire for something better to happen…come from?
How often does your hope become realised?
Is your source of hope reliable and dependable to always deliver for you?
Do you hope in God or do you hope in yourself, in others and in circumstances?
Perhaps this describes your experience…What they (those who don’t trust in God) trust in is fragile; what they rely on is a spider’s web. They lean on the web, but it gives way; they cling to it, but it does not hold. (Job 8:14-15)
There is an alternative…
But there’s one other thing I remember, and remembering, I keep a grip on hope: God’s loyal love couldn’t have run out, his merciful love couldn’t have dried up. They’re created new every morning. How great your faithfulness!
I’m sticking with God (I say it over and over). He’s all I’ve got left. God proves to be good to the man who passionately waits, to the woman who diligently seeks.
It’s a good thing to quietly hope, quietly hope for help from God. It’s a good thing when you’re young to stick it out through the hard times. When life is heavy and hard to take, go off by yourself. Enter the silence. Bow in prayer. Don’t ask questions: Wait for hope to appear.
Don’t run from trouble. Take it full-face. The “worst” is never the worst.
Why? Because the Master won’t ever walk out and fail to return. If he works severely, he also works tenderly. His stockpiles of loyal love are immense. He takes no pleasure in making life hard, in throwing roadblocks in the way: stomping down hard on luckless prisoners, refusing justice to victims in the court of High God, tampering with evidence—the Master does not approve of such things. (Lamentations 3:21-36 The Message Bible)
God states elsewhere in the Bible that “those who hope in me will not be disappointed” (Isaiah 49:23)
You can put your hope in God…your hope in Him to come and meet you where you are at, your hope in Him to feel loved, valued and treasured, your hope in Him showing you a better way, your hope in Him meeting your needs, your hope in Him to deliver and rescue you from your current state. Why? Because God loves you and wants to walk together with you in this life…you won’t be disappointed if you put your hope in God. He is totally trustworthy, reliable and dependable.
God is not like a fanciful genie – a spirit who does or provides whatever the person who summons it asks.
God is spirit, who wants to have a personal relationship with you, based on you putting your faith and trust in Him. You need to want to work together with God. Will you put your hope in God?
Perhaps your response could be like that of the psalmist…
Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord;
Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.
If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you.
I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope.
I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.
Israel, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption.
He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins.
(Psalm 130)
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