HOPE

“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.”  Psalm 42:5

Three times in chapter 42 and 43 of Psalms, David commands himself to put his hope in God.  The man after God’s own heart recognized the he needed to command himself to apply truth in order for his emotional state to change.  He was well aware that truth in the innermost parts brings about the external change we often long for.

I’ve been on a journey of pursuing hope for myself, my relationships, and my future.  Often my emotions are screaming at me telling me that they define my reality, and the truth comes in the form of that gentle whisper.

A while back I was laying in bed worrying, ahem I mean thinking, about the future.  I felt the Lord say to me, “Anna the difference between you fearing the unknown and embracing mystery is wrapped up in how you see my as your Father.”

I thought back to being a kid.  I was quite carefree and struggle to remember moments of worry.   I was challenged to a place of childlikeness and expectation.

What if we get exactly what we hope, dream, or expect?

Somewhere along the journey we can loose the ability to dream, and replace it with a fear of disappointment.  We let fear of disappointment silence our hearts desires.

Psalms 84:11 says, “he withholds no good thing from those whose walk is blameless.”  If you feel He’s withholding something, chances are it’s actually protection because He has something better for you.

Our focus should be His character, His goodness rather than our circumstances.

“Then you will look and be radiant,

your heart will throb and swell with joy;

the wealth on the seas will be brought to you,
to you the riches of the nations will come. ”

Isaiah 60:5

He wants our hearts to throb and swell with joy.  He wants our emotions to be stirred to the place of happiness and excitement!!  Think of Christmas morning, does a parent hope that their child saunters down the stairs in a calm, cool, collected manner to open their presents?  No parents  take great joy in seeing their children race down the stairs with a smile bigger than life and excitement impossible to contain!

This Monday morning, I pray that we are awakened to the reality that He is a really good Father who loves to give His kids gifts.  I pray that our hope (confident expectation of good) is stirred to a new place.    I pray that dreams are released and we will walk in new revelation of what it means to embrace the mystery.  I pray that we realize to deeper levels just how good He really is!