Hope

"Hope means - to wait with expectation"

I was reading in Hebrews 4 the other day.

Hebrews 4:14-16

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.  For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was without sin.  Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. 

As I read this passage in my Bible, I glanced over at the margin where there was a short 'thought' from one of the contributors.  It was so encouraging...

Hope is a precious gift of our salvation.  According to Hebrews 6:19, "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure."  While we can "hope" that circus performers don't fall and that our kids don't spill their soda, we must remember that our only reliable hope is in what we cannot see or control:

the outrageous faithfulness of God

Our responsibility to him as his children is to study his character so we will know, without a doubt, that whatever way he deals with our circumstances in life, it's the right way.  Even when things don't work out the way we planned or desired, he is all-knowing, all-loving, the beginning and the ending.

Hope is acting on the conviction

that despite what we see with the natural eye,

God is working in the spiritual realm

to accomplish his perfect will in our lives.

His hope does not disappoint!

- Thelma Wells  (Women of Faith Study Bible)

WOW.... I was blown away by those words.

When it seems that I am struggling with 'waiting' on the Lord and his timing in my life,

I HAVE to hang on to the HOPE that he promises. 

Today I was reading my daily devotional e-mail from Proverbs 31 Ministries

entitled "Dare to Hope"

... do you sense a theme in my life right now?

Ok, God... what is it you are trying to pound into me again and again??

Wendy Pope was talking about Jeremiah and the 'hopeless situation' he found himself in.

In Lamentations 2&3 it talks about how he cried tears till he had no more left to cry.  What brought him out of this pit and to a place of expectancy?  She mentioned four things that Jeremiah remembered about his covenant from the Lord....

• His unfailing love for him
• His new mercies meant for him
• His never ending faithfulness toward him
• His inheritance due him

In her devotional she stated the quote I have at the top of this post -

"Hope means to wait with expectancy"

I LOVE IT... 

focusing each day on God's mercies that are new every morning...waiting with great expectancy, knowing that God's way is the PERFECT WAY for my life..

Thank you Lord for reminding me in so many different ways that I need to WAIT on YOU with great EXPECTANCY and HOPE!

loving his faithfulness....