Monday, November 11, 2019

Got Hope--It's What You See?

We live in a world that has lost hope.  Even in America, there is such division and hatred that the majority of comments in the news and social media are negative.  Discouragement and even suicide are often reported among teens.  People do not see things getting better and therefore, in their own despair can only strike out in critical judgment.

Psalm 11 asks "If the foundations are shaken, what can the righteous do?"  The more focused question is what is hope and how do we get hope?.  We commonly use the word "hope" to mean "wish", such as we hope the Broncos win today.  However, the Biblical definition of hope is the confident expectation of what God has promised.  When man fell, he allowed sin and death to enter the human race, and a condition that Romans 8 describes as "the whole creation groans...from the bondage of corruption."  Naturally our minds tend to likewise see things going wrong, have anxiety and fear from things out of control, and in general, expect negative circumstances.  Have you ever heard of Murphy's law?

There is an answer.  We can change the "old flat tire" of negative thinking and put on a brand new tire of "positive vision."  Proverbs declares "without a vision, people perish."  The Word of God was given to man to renew his thinking and transform his picture of life.  As a man thinks so is he.  Thinking is more than rational thoughts.  It is the imagination, the picturing, the vision and goals that drive our actions and well-being.  What do you see in your mind when someone mentions a dog?  What if we added a large fierce dog?  Or a small black and white beagle?  The point is that words trigger a picture in our mind.

God wants us to have a living hope, an image that He makes "all things work together for our good."
His Word paints a picture of us being loved with an everlasting love, of being overcomers, and of being a people who enjoy abundant life and peace through His Spirit.  He sent forth His Word and delivered them.  His Word delivers us from our negative carnal thinking to embrace a new picture of us as now being His workmanship capable of being a light in the darkness.  This truth opens up a whole new world of purpose and hope for the future.  God Himself is for us and with us.  How can we fail?

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that does not fade away. ( Peter 1:3)  This truth is like an anchor to the soul, that through the finished work of Jesus and with the same Spirit that raised Him from the dead now living in us, we are assured to make it..  We let the Word of God transform our thinking and what we see God has done and continues to do for us.

By faith, and faith is the assurance of things hoped for, we transfer our hope into reality.  Take time to deliberately let the Word of God paint fresh pictures of hope and vision in you.  Read it, think about what it says, picture this in your life, and continue to meditate on His truth until you can see it.  God is faithful to be found by those who seek Him.  What do you see?


1 comment:

  1. This is a very good word for the people during this time. People will learn that it is essential to have faith. It is a good discipline to have God as our living hope. This is a very good reassurance.

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