THE GOD OF HOPE

“Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? HOPE IN GOD…” – Psalm 42: 5a

Messages of Hope in the Scriptures revolve around THE GOD OF HOPE: "Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? HOPE in GOD, for I shall yet praise Him for the HELP of His countenance" (Psa.42:5). Verse 11 repeats the same question and affirmation. Here, the psalmist preached a Sermon of Hope and Reassurance to himself. Engaged in a Fight of Hope, he was wrestling and struggling to sustain Hope in God. He was meditating and ruminating within himself; his spirit was trying to convince his soul to not be cast down, dejected, disquieted or depressed; to not lose hope; but to thirst for and praise God, knowing that in His countenance is our very present HELP! We will never be put to shame if we learn to HOPE IN GOD for HELP. Divine Help responds to Living Hope in God.

Above all else, we must know that the Almighty God is the GOD of HOPE: “Now may the GOD of HOPE fill you with ALL JOY and PEACE in believing, that you may abound in HOPE by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Rom.15:13). God is never without Hope. He can never be found to lose Hope or become hopeless! Hope is one of God’s distinguishing virtues. Hope has its Source in God alone: “My soul, wait silently for GOD ALONE, for my EXPECTATION is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved” (Psa.62:5-6). That's why there is still hope in the world despite all the troubles. All hope is not lost! Even in hard times, there is always Hope in God.

The Devil, through secularism and demonic manifestations, is desperate to club truth to death, mesmerize ignorant minds, and bludgeon the hearts of men with hopelessness. Unlike worldly hope that's mere wishful thinking, biblical Hope is centred on the God of Hope. There is no one else we can hope in without the possibility of being disappointed. But we can hope in God's Word: "You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in YOUR WORD (Psa.119:114); "I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in HIS WORD do HOPE." (Psa. 130:5). We can also hope in God's Mercy: "O Israel, HOPE in the Lord; for with the Lord there is MERCY, and with Him is abundant redemption" (Psa.130:7).

God caused His Word to be written and recorded for posterity, that humanity would never be cut off from Hope: “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have HOPE” (Rom.15:4). Scriptures provide the comfort, and help to nurture the patience we need to possess this spiritually tangible virtue called Hope. God's Word is full of Hope for all of life’s challenges and circumstances. Amidst global, national, communal, family, and personal upheavals, we can learn to Hope in God. By His Grace, this Month, we shall meditate on the dimensions of this Living Hope, and the accompanying Joy and Peace.

One of the best sermons we can personally preach to ourselves may be only three words long: HOPE IN GOD! To God, Hope is not a mere wish like the world uses the word casually. On the contrary, it is confidently expecting that something will happen and waiting patiently for it with joy and pleasure. John Piper says: “Christian hope is a confidence that something will come to pass because God has promised it will come to pass.” Beloved in Christ, it’s time to throw off hopelessness. It’s time to dream again. It’s time to overflow with Living Hope, Joy unspeakable, and Peace unstoppable, as we trust in the GOD of HOPE!