“Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord his God,
who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them,
who keeps faith forever.” Psalm 146:5-6
“The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him,
in those who hope in his steadfast love.” Psalm 147:11
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” 1 Peter 1:3-5
There is something intrinsic in actual hoping that blesses the one who hopes. The soul fixed on Christ and His promises bounds in joyous anticipation for all that is and will be. And our hope blesses God the Father and the Lord Jesus, who cause and sustain that hope in us. Blessed be Him, blessed be us, for what Christ has won!
Imagine God taking pleasure in us because we delight in all He is, and all He assures will come. His hope penetrates every difficulty, every sadness, every unmet need, connecting present to future in inextricable assurance. He does immeasurably more than we ask or imagine, promising every spiritual blessing in our Savior now and forever. Whatever our lack, or longing, He is enough! (Ephesians 1:3,11-14; 3:20)
“Are there any among the false gods of the nations that can bring rain?
Or can the heavens give showers?
Are you not he, O Lord our God?
We set our hope on you,
for you do all these things.” Jeremiah 14:22
Who is vying for our heart’s devotion? Whose unfulfilled promises have left us disappointed? Whose advice has fallen flat, sour, or destructive? Hope in the Lord!
“For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:17-18
What impossibles confront us today? In relationships, work or financial or health situations? Would we turn our eyes from these to hope in the Lord?
“My hope is in the Lord
Who gave Himself for me,
And paid the price of all my sin
At Calvary.
And now for me he stands
Before the Father’s throne,
He shows His wounded hands,
And names me as His own.
For me He died,
For me He lives,
And everlasting
Life and light
He freely gives.” ~Norman Clayton (1945)
What can we do this day to extricate our hope from things, institutions, and people of this world, and secure it forever in the only One worthy of our trust? What meaningless allegiances distract us from Him and the divine pledge of His word? Would today be the day we choose to bless God by hoping anew, and sharing that hope with another?
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Romans 15:13
May He fill us all that we abound. Amen.
As the rain and snow 