Hope

I was thinking about Hope the other day and it got me thinking..What does it mean to hope?

 Last week we were visited with the hope of spring.  We saw all those huge piles of snow melt away right before our eyes and the air smelled like spring.  And even though we live in Michigan where winter lasts well past February our hope soared to thoughts of spring.  I know I was getting out my spring coat and getting excited about putting away the scarves and mittens.  Some of you probably where looking at flower catalogs and envisioning yourself planting all sorts of flora.  I admit I was dreaming of daffodils and crocuses. 

But as I looked out my window Sunday afternoon the snow was coming down hard and fast.  In a few short hours there was four inches of fresh snow and more on its way. It made my heart sick.  Winter was back and gone was my hope in an early spring.

The bible says in Proverbs 13:12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick.

Hope put in something other than God or deferred makes the heart sick.

What does that look like have deferred hope?

There are so many “things” that we put our hope in. Last week for many of us it was the weather. Maybe finding the perfect new outfit for the weekend? A good grade on a test? Maybe it’s hope in the unknown.  Hope that you will find Mr. Right and live happily ever after. Or it’s hope that you will be able to just make it through the day without losing your mind. Maybe it’s the hope that your husband will be nicer.

The dictionary says that hope means to cherish a desire with anticipation, to expect with confidence.  If my desire or expectation is in anything other than God my heart will grow sick.  I will be disappointed.  I won’t find the right outfit, I‘ll end up with a bad grade or my husband will forget my birthday.  When we hope in “things” or other people we will be disappointed.  Our hearts will be sick.

BUT that same scripture, Prov. 13:12 goes on to say, a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.

If we put our longing, our hope in Christ it will bring us LIFE!

 Psalm 42:11 says,

Why, my soul, are you downcast?
   Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
   for I will yet praise him,
   my Savior and my God.

In The Message it says,

 Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul?
      Why are you crying the blues?
   Fix my eyes on God—
      soon I'll be praising again.
   He puts a smile on my face.
      He's my God.

When we put our hope in “things” it will make our heart sick.  It will cause our soul to be downcast, and we will find ourselves singing the blues! BUT if we put our hope in God, fix our eyes on HIM, He will put a smile on our face!

 Now that is something to shout about! That my sister, is SOMEONE to HOPE IN!

Breakfast

A few years ago my daughter had a friend visit from South Africa and he shared something with me that really changed my life.  I was reaching for a “chelsey bun” the South African term for cinnamon roll and he said, very nicely,

“ Hey Mrs. M. have you had a good breakfast?

 My reply was, “This IS my good breakfast!”   His reply was very thought provoking.

 He said;

“Oh Mrs. M. you can have the chelsey bun just have a good breakfast first.  The first thing you put in your body is what your body will absorb best, so if you have a good healthy breakfast first and nourish your body with good things. Then if you still want the chelsey bun you can have it. “

Well he was studying to be a doctor so I figured he knew what he was talking about, so I put the chelsey bun down and reached for a piece of fruit and granola.

  But I continued to think about what he said.  The first thing I put in my body is what my body will use for fuel.  If I ate the cinnamon roll first the empty calories and the loaded sugar would start my body on a sugar high that would not last and would work against the desire to be healthy.  It made sense to me. The more I thought about it the more I could see implications for my spiritual life as well.

 I had determined to read through the bible for the first time that year and taking Nick’s advice it would be the first thing I put in my spiritual body so that my spirit had good food to feed on. 

Wow did it make a difference!

 I found by reading the Word of God first thing my day went better.  When I set my eyes on Jesus the very first thing in the morning somehow I always had time the time to do my devotions.  I found taking those first few minutes in the morning to reach for something healthy, something that nourished my spirit caused me to grow strong in grace and in joy.  I was planting the word in soil not yet polluted with the cares of the world. 

The Psalmist says,

Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord.
      Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly.  Psalm 5:3

Now I know God hears me no matter when I pray but  when I chose to go to  God’s word to nourish my soul first thing in the morning,  I plant His truth in the fresh soil of my spirit.  It has a chance to grow deep and flourish.

Now you may not be a morning person, truthfully neither am I, But I challenge you to reach for His word first thing.  Trust me it will be worth it! 

Dancing in the mine field...

My dad is a veteran of WW2. Growing up he would share many humorous battle stories.  I would laugh every time he would tell the tale of when he was in a fox hole under fire. He was scared and with bullets zinging over head he was sure he was shot.  He could feel the warm liquid flow down his leg, he yelled for a medic only to realize it was his canteen that had taken the fatal shot.  

But among his tales of humor, there were tales of hardship as well. One of them was when he and another solider were sent out on a recon mission. They came upon an open field.  My dad’s friend went first and stepped on a mine, losing his life.

When I think of a mine field I think how each step you take could be your last.  You have to be so very careful, so very controlled. There is no room for error. It takes all your concentration. 

There is a song I heard on the radio by Andrew Peterson called, Dancing in the Minefield. How do you dance in a mine field?  How could you abandon your fears and be that free?  

I see the trials and tribulations as minefields in my life.  When hard times come how do I handle them?  Do I trust God or do I try to control the outcome somehow? Do I try to calculate my steps each day trying to avoid trials, afraid that the next step could cause troubles to blow up in my face?  Am thinking I can control the outcome?

 

The word of God says; The steps of a righteous man (and woman) are ordered of the Lord (Psalm 37:23.)

Do I believe that?  Can I trust that the creator of the Universe loves me enough to order my steps, to take me through the mine fields of my life? When things blow up, because trust me things will and do blow up, do I find myself resting in His loving arms?

I have come to realize that the answer is YES! I can trust Him because He is trustworthy.   He walks with me through the fires of life.

 If I abandon my control, He will dance with me in the mine fields of my life.  I don’t walk or dance alone.  I dance with the lover of my soul and when I do when I hear His song washing over me; I experience a peace that knows no bounds, a joy that has no end.

I used to sing a song when my kids were little; Keep your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace…

When I look into His eyes and allow Him to walk with me through the trials, when I abandon all control, He takes me dancing.

So let’s go dancing in the mine fields.  Let’s take the hand of God and trust like never before because, He wants this dance!