Jesus, Our Hope

"May the God of hope fill you with joy and peace in your faith, that by power of the Holy Spirit, your whole life and outlook may be radiant with hope."  Rom. 15:13 (Phillips)

Wow!  A cup of coffee tastes even better when you are visiting with a friend.  Let's do both!

  She sighed as she slowly closed the lid and taped up the last box.  It seemed to have finality about it, the ending of a season in her life.  But, the whole process felt like even more than that ... as if she were closing the top to the hope chest of her mind.  Both were filled with dreams, memories, and hopes she had desired in her life ... and both seemed to be coming to an end.  "This is silly," she thought to herself, "This is just one event in my life, but I am acting as if it will change everything."

  She knew this was the time to pray; yet her heart was so heavy.  "Lord, You have given me so many of my heart's desires, why do I now feel so hopeless now?  Help me to understand through Your Word and see what it is You are teaching me."

  Just as she breathed her prayer, her mind was quickly reminded of some verses in Jeremiah 17: 7, 8 "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD and whose hope the LORD is.  For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be anxious in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit."

  And, with that, she took hope in the Lord.

  I love these verses of encouragement.  What a wonderful visual, and promise to stand on!  The first part of the verse is the most crucial in our relationship with the Lord ... TRUST.  Trust in the Old Testament is the same word for believe and faith in the New Testament.  For us to trust means to believe God and His Word.  Trust literally means to lean on, to take refuge, to roll on, and to wait for.  Always remember that trusting God is a process that we journey through as we continually find our hope is in Him.  If our hope is in anything else ... our spouse, family, job, career, finances, etc. we will inevitably be disappointed.

  We have all had our hopes, dashed at one time or another, leaving us feeling hurt, disappointed, and empty, yet if we trust in the Lord, He will fill the hurt with Himself.

  The last part of that verse says the blessed are those "... whose hope the LORD is."  The word HOPE does not mean something we wish for, but conveys a truth, an assured fact---the fact of the resurrected Christ and what a difference He makes in our lives.

  As we grow in Christ and in the Word, we will be like a tree planted on fertile ground, with our root system receiving nourishment directly from Him.  In that growth, we find that we are established and found in Him.  Have you ever pictured yourself in that way?  I see us as starting out as that little sapling being planted in most precious soil by God.  Then, over the years, He nurtures us and tends to us---growing us until we become a most beautiful oak tree with boughs that are full of green leaves able to withstand the heat and the drought when it comes, and being a haven for others to come and find rest  Oh how He will keep us, even to the joy of still bearing fruit in our lives at difficult times.  Oh, doesn't that encourage you!

  Sweet friend, set your eyes and heart on Jesus, our hope.  Distractions and circumstances will come in your life, but He is so faithful to see us through and give us hope for each day.  I know, because He has done that for me and I depend on Him to continue to help me each day!

  I am so glad we had time to visit extra today.  I truly look forward to our times together.  I proclaim with you, "Jesus is our hope!"