This Hope we have is more wildly untamed than our circumstances as it is an enemy to cynicism and skepticism
What is hope?
I mean to ask, what is hope really?
I am sure we have an idea of what it means... a rough definition either we have cultivated from the many sermons we may have heard preached and taught... or perhaps have had the honor of a close loved one pour wisdom in the revelations of what hope could be.
But what is it really?
As with all things, there must be an absolute truth that is rooted at the base of all conceived notions and evolved ideals built up around such a commonly used word such as this.
My Mom placed a small rectangle shaped piece of paper that had a scripture on it on my door as a kid. It was laminated and had a picture of an eagle on it. To her, this scripture was specifically and prophetically what she would call "my" scripture. She said she knew this particular scripture was mine, almost like a name I bare, and that God had placed this over my life.
Moms . . . what an incredibly powerful weapon against all enemies and blessing to her children when in the committed and submitted service to the Lord.
The scripture read:
"But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint."
-Isaiah 40:31 (NKJV)
I can't ever forget that verse for it is forever a part of me now . . . a tattoo upon my heart. That powerful scripture has helped to shape and mold me from within, distilling a foundational truth in my life that brings peace when there may not be any more hope left for me.
This is hope.
This is my hope for sure.
This Hope is a living and breathing being . . . with an eternal heart and a soul . . . with emotions and thoughts towards me. It is through relationship with our Creator where we learn to hope . . . and what true hope even is.
It is the kind of hope that comes seemingly out of nowhere. In the place where we feel as though nothing good could ever come through for us in our time of dire need, this Hope is unprecedented. It is without the bounds of natural capabilities and goes beyond what we can comprehend.
It's the kind of hope that settles a battle within us.
"But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength..." (NIV)
It silences fear.
"But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength..." (NLT)
It moves what seemingly mountainous terrain challenges our path in this life we live every day, and it creates a way where there shouldn't be one.
"But those who wait upon God get fresh strength..." (MSG)
This Hope doesn't abide by any laws of anything here on earth or what we would understand. This Hope we have is more wildly untamed than our circumstances as it is an enemy to cynicism and skepticism.
"But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] will gain new strength and renew their power..." (AMP)
This is our hope.
He is our creator and our friend . . . our greatest lover and fiercest defender . . . our advocate who will stand by our side until we have found victory in this life, battle after battle, Hope is there.
He is our hope.
To me it's simple. Without Him we have no hope, yet with Him, we have nothing short of the truest and purest hope there ever will be. This isn't just some sweet worship song that we sing in church or a solid title to a hard hitting message preached at us.
This is real, right now, like gravity to the earth. This is our reality, as alive as you are with breath in your lungs, He is our eternal hope, right now . . . right where you are.
I love the different translations and how they culminate this picture for us, that of finding a hope being centered around relationship with Hope himself.
In a relationship, there must be trust. At some point we must wait on the other . . . and at some point there must be some kind of looking to the other with great vulnerability in expectation for who we know them to be. Whether we realize this or not, this is how we get through each day, a constant letting go of all attempts to control even when we are tempted to.
That is all keys to finding the greatest hope we could ever find in this life through our Father.
The Hebrew translation for our English word "wait" is qavah. Its primitive root means to bind together perhaps by twisting. Its deeper meanings would amount to collect and gather, to look patiently towards and tarry or wait for or upon.
Something that always stuck out to me though is this particular use of that Hebrew word. It is the part of it that means to "wait on" as a good server would at a respected restaurant to their table.
What a beautiful depiction that portrays us having humility towards the One who would give us all life if we would but be there to receive it as we waited upon our great Hope every day.
This is hope.
This is where our strength comes from.
Jesus has made a way so that God's spirit may dwell within our very being, to be one with Him, and to have the choice to wait on Him hand and foot.
What a honor.
This isn't slavery here. I'm talking about the highest honor, to carry out the will and heart's desires of the Almighty God, the King of kings and Lord of lords.
What is hope?
Let's not make the same mistakes now that we know the truth . . . to ask such a thing, for now if not before, we know better. This isn't about what hope is anymore. The more accurate question surrounding truth is, "Who is hope?"
That's more like it, but we know the answer to that, don't we.
Now let's live it out.
