So today I will begin by just talking about hope. It has been a while since I last posted; for amongst other reasons rather below par time management, struggling with balancing my new circumstances as well as a weariness in me where it did a bit seem to me like the fire was gone. As I write now however, I think that there will be a change from now.
Hope as a topic is one that is very tender and real to me because in so many ways it is my story; it is the journey that I have walked and that even now as I go for my dreams, it remains what I hold on to. After all, it is not a coincidence that I decided to call it “Prisoner of Hope.” Even as I now have been considering the fact that there is a definition that we hold on to of hope, in many cases it is merely wishing. Wishing born from the ache of a heart that longs for me but struggles to comprehend that what is longed for could be a reality. Wishing that is born of a knowledge that something better exists but without any real belief that the better place that exists could be yours.
However, this is not hope as God would have you hold on to; rather, in the Bible, hope is an eager and earnest expectation. As I search for imagery on my mind, I find the picture of a soccer player who has been awarded a penalty; and it is in the89th minute of the game. A trophy hangs in the balance; held by the tenterhooks of whether or not he scores. The shoreline is 1-1, it is the final of a World Cup and for this particular player, it is the opportunity to score a goal to make it 2-1; win the game and bring home a trophy his country has never won. Eager and earnest expectation: Those are the words I would use to describe how the nation’s fans have collectively held their breaths and waited for their moment of joy as their favourite child steps up to take the penalty. In other words, hope.
The bible talks about a hope that does not disappoint, a hope which when fulfilled is a tree of life but when deferred makes the heart sick. Paul talks and says “Faith, hope and love abide in these 3.” We have our passage on Faith, Hebrews 11 and 12; we have our passage on hope 1 Corinthians 13 but do we have anything similar on hope? Can anyone answer. Somewhere along the line, the importance and necessity of a life lived in hope may have gotten lost. We may have assumed we had it; or maybe the possibility of the pain of disappointment left us in a place of apathy. In our minds, the possibility of someone staring; laughing, passing a snide remark made us uncomfortable and we decided we would rather not bother.
In Zechariah, 9:12, hope is described as a fortress; a place of security and strength where we find our shelter and refuge. A sad tragedy however is that so many do not get to enjoy the hope and the security and peace that we find in hope. I am going to break of my post for today here, with a few words to make you ponder on what hope really is and where its strength lies.
Our hope is powerful, and liberating and secure not simply because it is “hope” but rather because of He in whom we put our hope. Just as the soccer fan has hope or eagerness that varies depending on who takes the penalty, our hope is or should be great because of He who calls us to put our hope in Him. He is love, He is full of mercy and grace, and kindness. He looks upon you with love and He is your Father. Our hope is so significant not because it is “hope” but because of the nature of He in whom we put our hope.
Selah.
