A few weeks ago, a word came through in my studies. Hope. For a better day, success, healing,
And answering the often confusing condition of “why.” Why did this happen? How can I survive? What will we do now? Suddenly, I realize I’m still young; I’m not sure I’ve ever been in a hopeless situation!
“We live in a time when hope seems lost.
Nothing good will come from the struggles of life.
But life, without hope, is a dreary place to be.
That’s why I start each day, with hope alive in me.“
The times seem tough, but hope is strong enough.
Cling to it, live with it, and make decisions based on it.
Tomorrow is another day.
You can overcome if you strive for it.
~Michael Gurley
In the Bible, we don’t see the word (hope) arrive until we get to the book of Ruth. Why doesn’t it show up in Genesis? Indeed, there were days and seasons when Hope was needed.
Maybe it’s a language thing. Imagine the days in the Garden of Eden. The words used by Adam and Eve may have been simple sets of words. Learn as you go, make words you need, and someday, that word becomes commonly used to represent a thing or idea.
On the day they are expelled, the idea of Hope is a promise from God about the future. Maybe they don’t understand it at first, but eventually, the hope of a messiah is born out of this conflict, shame, and a desire to reenter a relationship with God. God said to the serpent:
And I will put enmity Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her Seed;
He shall bruise your head,
And you shall bruise His heel.”
(Genesis 3:15 NKJV)
The imagery here is a minor wound on the heel and a major wound on the head. Eventually, hope is realized, and a savior will arrive – a victor.
The subsequent major use of Hope comes in the book of Job, then the Wisdom books of Psalms and Proverbs, and the weeping prophet Jeremiah.
By the end of the Old Testament, the language goes through many iterations of change – imagine the variety of tongues created at the Tower of Babel and the experiences that aid in increasing language, and suddenly, we find Hope in the New Testament. Used only once in the Gospels, hope became a keyword to the early Christian church, and Paul used it in nearly every epistle.
But notice…
It is not used in the beginning of the Bible (Genesis), nor the ending of the Bible (“The Revelation of Jesus Christ (Revelation 1:1)). In the beginning, hope is an idea but not uniquely expressed. In the end, hope is no longer an option.
But today, Hope is crystalized in our prayers, worship, teaching, preaching, studying, and encouraging each other.
For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,
teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts,
we should live soberly, righteously,
and godly in the present age,
looking for the blessed hope
and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,
who gave Himself for us,
that He might redeem us from every lawless deed
and purify for Himself His own special people,
zealous for good works.
(Titus 2:11-14 NKJV)
This opens my spirit to thinking about Hope in light of my present world. I have Hope that I can continue to live and be the way God wants me to be. Think about it. God accepts Noah’s first sacrifice as he exits the Ark. In the following scripture, we find the idea of Jesus working the work until the day has ended and the night arrives.
“While the earth remains,
Seedtime and harvest,
Cold and heat,
Winter and summer,
And day and night
Shall not cease.”
(Genesis 8:22 NKJV)
I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day;
the night is coming when no one can work.
As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
(John 9:4-5 NKJV)
“Listen to the mustn’ts, child.
Listen to the don’ts.
Listen to the shouldn’ts, the impossibles, the won’ts.
Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me…
Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.”
~Shel Silverstein
Every path has its puddle.
Every day has a night.
Every dark cloud is silver-lined.
Every heart yearns for love.
Day gives in to night,
Seasons come and go…
And there is a razor-thin line between
love and hate, laughter and tears…
If we recognize that opposites exist for every experience, we will realize that this current season, whatever it may be, will pass.
Hope Springs Eternal.