Rest in God alone, my soul,
for my hope comes from Him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my stronghold; I will not be shaken.
(Psalm 62:5-6 HCSB)
Series: Fruits of Faith
Welcome November! The temps have cooled, the clocks have fallen back, and our calendars suddenly burst with a ton of extras. As we enter the seasons of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s, the hustle can fuel feelings of overwhelm and anxiety. Add in the ever-changing political and social climates, and our hearts may spike from uneasiness to panic.
The uncertainties that arise—and multiply—as each new day dawns can strip our hope in moments if we allow them to enter our hearts. Proverbs, the book of wisdom, instructs us to guard our hearts (Proverbs 4:23) and teaches that if we put off our hope, our hearts become sick (Proverbs 13:12).
Hope is crucial to our health, strength, endurance, and success. It provides the reason and the will to take the next breath, the next step, and do what we’re created to do each new day.
We can put our hope in many things. But there is only One who nourishes the hope needed to stand in the face of the adversities of this life. Hebrews 10:19-23 (NASB) says:
Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, through His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let’s approach God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let’s hold firmly to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
Regardless of the challenges each day brings, God assures us of our right and ability to enter into a personal relationship with Him, through Jesus, our great High Priest. We can boldly come to God with anything—everything—in our lives. He has graciously and mercifully made the way for us to fellowship with Him in this very present time and to live eternally with Him. These truths are the foundation of our hope.
Jeremiah 17:7-8 (NLT) says:
But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.
As we nourish our relationship with God, our hope grows and strengthens. Time spent in study, prayer, and worship produces greater understanding of His character, His ways, His passion. Our hearts soak and mature in truth, and we unwaveringly come to know God is faithful forever. He is a promise-keeper! There is no variance in Him. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Great is His faithfulness!
No matter the unknowns before us and the pressures of the season upon us, we can confidently cling to the hope we have in God. Let’s silence the noise, guard our hearts, and feed our faith.
The roots of a tree grow down deep and spread wide in the soil, providing stability, endurance, and strength. Those roots lap up sustenance, which furnishes life and produces fruit. Let’s likewise develop our hope in Jesus, and may our abiding hope in Him accomplish the same in us.
Holding Fast to Hope,
Maryann
Scripture References: Psalm 39:6-8, 62:5-6; Proverbs 4:23, 13:12; Jeremiah 17:7-8; Lamentations 3:21-23; Matthew 6:25-33; Romans 8:24, 15:13; Hebrews 6:19, 10:19-23, 13:8; James 1:17; 1 John 4:16
