Reason #997

Counselor Mark gave me the best advice. That's why he does what he does and gets paid for it. He said, "Live in the hope that you have." But tonight I've thought a little bit more about that, and I came to a new conclusion.

We use the word hope a lot. Maybe you've found yourself saying things like:

 

"I hope I get this job."

"I hope they can work things out."

"I hope she starts feeling better soon."

"I hope we can make ends meet this month." 

"I hope things will turn around for them."

"I hope he makes a better decision."

 

It's easy to be hopeful, but maybe we've become too familiar with hope. We use it so easily, and yet will still live in fear and anxiety. Because when we say we "hope" for something, we mean that we really want it but aren't quite sure it's going to happen. Hope is an expectation that things will turn out for the best but not necessarily a guarantee. Because if we knew the end result, we wouldn't mention the word hope. We'd say:

 

"I know I will get this job."

"I know they can work things out."

"I know she will start feeling better soon."

"I know we can make ends meet this month." 

"I know things will turn around for them."

"I know he make a better decision."

 





But knowing and hoping are two different things, and so we cling to hope because, well, we never really know. But I think the statement Counselor Mark made went deeper than simply hoping for the best and living in the belief that it will happen. Because let's be real here, hoping doesn't mean it will happen. I've hoped with all my might for a lot of things in life, and they haven't always come to fruition. And so hoping doesn't get us what we want. Hoping is a coping mechanism until we embrace reality.

 

But when Jesus is our hope, we don't have to hope like the world does. We can say:

 

"Lord, I don't know if I will get this job. I hope I will, but my hope is in you so I know you'll lead me to the right one if this isn't it."

 

"Lord, I don't know how they can work things out. I hope they will, but my hope is in you and I know you are a God of peace and reconciliation and you'll help them figure it out if they'll seek you."

 

"Lord, I don't know when she will start feeling better. I hope it is soon, but my hope is in you and I know that you'll comfort her and bring healing in some form or fashion."

 

"Lord, I don't know if we can make ends meet this month. I hope we can, but my hope is in you and I believe that you are Jehovah Jireh, our provider. "

 

"Lord, I don't know when things will turn around for them. I hope it will be soon, but my hope is in you and I know you'll guide them along the right path when they submit to your will."

 

"Lord, I don't know that he make a better decision. I hope he does, but my hope is in you and I know that you are a God of redemption who restores all things and uses them to bring glory to your name."

 



And when we think we can't go on, when we're not sure what to do, when we think we're to the end of our rope, we remember that Jesus is our hope and we keep living. We keep moving forward and taking it one day at a time. We keep trusting in His word. We remember that His promises hold true. We don't have to know how it will turn out, we can rest in knowing that regardless of what happens He is in control.

 

Thank you, Jesus, for being our hope.

 

#997 - Because when Jesus is our hope, we don't have to hope things will turn out for the best since we know He will use them for our good.

 

"I am counting on the Lord; yes, I am counting on him. I have put my hope in his word." - Psalm 130:5