As Christians, we’re familiar with the concept of hope. After all, Scripture speaks of the hope of salvation, the hope we have in Christ, etc.
This morning, I read a verse I’ve read countless times before, but it hit me a new way. (How often do many of us say this same thing? More times than I can count, I’m sure.)
It was Psalm 22:9, which in the Amplified translation reads, “Yet You are He Who took me out of the womb; You made me hope and trust when I was on my mother’s breasts.”
“You made me hope.”
Not only is God the end, aim, and reason for our hope, but He is also its source.
How often do we feel that we’ve lost the ability to hope? Maybe disappointments, tragedy, or simply the daily trials of life have choked out our hope. And we simply don’t know how to regain it.
Maybe we’ve tried to simply “be hopeful,” but that hasn’t worked out so well.
The truth is we can go to the Lord, who caused us to hope to begin with, and ask Him to renew the hope He’s placed in us.
In Psalm 119:49, we read, “Remember [fervently] the word and promise to Your servant, in which You have caused me to hope.”
“…You have caused me to hope.”
True hope is not self-generated. It isn’t something we can try super hard and dredge up for ourselves. Maybe you’ve tried, failed, and only found yourself more hopeless. (Been there.)
I’m not saying there aren’t things we can do to cultivate hope. Romans 5:1-5 says, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”
Interestingly, the loss of hope often comes as a result of some sort of tribulation, but in this verse we see tribulation—or, more specifically, our reaction to tribulation—as a step toward allowing hope to be produced in us.
And ultimately, the One Who produces this hope in us is God. And as we go to Him as the source of hope and draw from Him. He will renew the hope He’s already placed in us.
And this is the kind of hope that will not disappoint.
Sermon at church today was also hope. I came home and read your message also on hope. And yes, it has touched my heart as a direct word to me from my Father…have hope. Thank you.
Without Him and His Hope we are nothing. Amen.
Amen! Our hope comes from God and is not of works. Just like faith and love. Truly we can do nothing without Him. John 15: 5.