Where is My Hope?

Hope...I "hope" this works, or I "hope" that doesn't happen. Hope~ what is it and where is my hope??

It has been a really long time since I have blogged. I have had so many thoughts that I would have loved to put down, but sadly, I did not make time for writing. (I don't know why because for me writing is therapeutic). Anyway, I don't really have time tonight, but I want to make time for writing the things that God is teaching me and the things that are happening to chronicle...God's faithfulness, His workings, and to flesh out what I am learning, I hope ;)

So if there would be one thing I feel like God has been teaching me these past 7 months since I have written, it would be around this question: "Where is My Hope??" This year has been quite a big year for us because of changes. Our church went through many changes, which then in turn led to us changing churches, our house was up for sale and we were planning on building a new house, and most recently Mark was laid off from his job (but, has been blessed with a new job).

Life is always ebbing and flowing, changing constantly and I feel myself hoping a lot of things in the midst of the changes. Things like this: "I hope he makes a good decision". "I hope our house sells for enough". In normal things I hope often too. "I hope nothing bad happens to the kids". "I hope he makes enough money." "I hope...I hope...I hope..."

In the midst of these hopeful thoughts, I sense the Spirit of God speaking to my heart. Asking me, "where is your hope?" I mean what am I really hoping in? If I am hoping in that my husband will never make a bad decision or that the house sells for enough of that people will like me, or that Mark's boss will never lay him off, or that nothing bad will ever happen to my kids or whatever, I am bound to be dissappointed. These things are not somewhere to put my hope.

Mark's good decisions or enough money or well children or a solid job are not guarantees, these things are shakeable. But one thing alone that is not shakeable is Christ. I MUST put my hope in HIM.

What do I mean?? I mean, in my praying and asking God for things or solutions or money or whatever, I must remember that it is HE who holds the answers, the peace, the strength. It is He who owns all the world,all the land and all the money in it; it is He who watches over my children and has all their days and mine numbered in His book. It is He who for that matter holds the very heart of my husband's boss and can turn it wherever He wills. It is He who keeps our very heart beating; it is He who I need more desperately than anything. I needn't put my hope in anything but Him. If I put my hope in Christ, the One Who laid down His life, dying and rising again, I will NEVER be dissappointed.

Let's face it: Bad things will happen. People will make bad decisions that affect our lives. There may be less money in our bank accounts than we hope for. People may hate us. And God forbid, but our children may face bad things happening to them. This is life.
"In this world you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world". This is what Jesus said. That is great. That is hope. Real Hope. It is also written in the Scriptures that we should be "content with such things as we have for He has promised to never leave us or forsake us." Nothing can shake that hope. Nothing.

Romans 8:35-39
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?...For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.


While I will pray for all the things that I hope for, I will not cling to those things for my happiness or my joy, I will hope in the only thing that can ever bring true joy, and that is JESUS. My hope is in the LORD, Almighty Maker of Heaven and Earth, the very one who keeps my heart beating even now. Where is YOUR hope??

Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him,
On those who hope in His mercy,
19 To deliver their soul from death,
And to keep them alive in famine.
20 Our soul waits for the Lord;
He is our help and our shield.
21 For our heart shall rejoice in Him,
Because we have trusted in His holy name.
22 Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us,
Just as we hope in You.