Monday Morning Devotion-February10, 2020
Hope
But now, Lord what do I look for? My hope is in you. Psalm 39:7
"Hope is an optimistic state of mind that is based on an expectation of positive outcomes with respect to events and circumstances in one's life or the world at large."
Say what? My goodness that's a long sentence to explain a little four-letter word. It would be much easier to just say "my hope is in the Lord" like the Psalmist did in today's scripture.
We all have hopes and dreams. Some get fulfilled and some don't, at least not in the way we had hoped for them too.
Then there are situations where people's hopes are pinned on something that takes over their whole life. They work, work, work at it. All their plans are directed at a hoped-for-outcome. Then one day they get it. All that hard work has paid off and they have made it to the top and guess what? They feel a deep sense of dissatisfaction. It ain't what they thought was.
John Ortberg says there is a reason for this. "They are still them." Yep, no matter how high on that platform they have elevated themselves to°they are still them. They are who they always were. They are still the person God created them to be.
On the day that we now celebrate as Palm Sunday the people were lining the streets anticipating the arrival of the long-awaited Messiah, the One who would save them from their oppressors. He was the One they had hoped for.
And along came Jesus, riding on a borrowed donkey. They cheered and threw palm branches in His path to honor Him, make His ride easier and not so dusty. Their highest hopes were pinned on this lone figure. Although he could see the life path ahead the people couldn't.
So, is this to say that we shouldn't have high hopes because we might be disillusioned and disappointed in the long run? No that's not it.
Remember what happened in the song "High Hopes" first heard in the 1959 movie "A Hole in the Head:"
Once there was a silly old ram, thought he could butt a hole in a dam.
No one could make that ram scram
He just kept butting that dam because
He had high-hopes, high-hopes
He had high-in-the-sky apple-pie hopes.
Does it sometimes appear as if you are butting your head against a dam or a brick wall?
It just seems like the things you hope for are not happening.
In Ephesians 2:10 we read: We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walks in them.
Charles Stanley (Jesus Our Perfect Hope) writes; "Workmanship in Greek means 'a person of notable excellence.' The Lord calls us this because He made us. We are His prized creation. God loves you and did a great job of putting you together despite your complaints about different aspects of your being. God delights in your personality, appearance and talents because He planned for you to have them. "
In Stanley's book of 365 daily devotions he closes out each devotion with a reason to hope in Jesus. They all start with "My hope is in Jesus." Let me share some of the reasons to have (high) hopes in Jesus.
"My hope is in Jesus because He is my unfailing Provider."
"My hope is in Jesus because he calms the storms."
"My hope is in Jesus because He leads me to truth and freedom."
"My hope is in Jesus because He always provides perfect guidance."
"My hope is in Jesus because He always works to set me free."
So, when it seems like those high hopes of yours are not going to be fulfilled just remember the ending of that song and the fate of that "silly old ram."
"Oops, there goes a billion-kilowatt dam."
Instead of becoming discouraged follow the lead of the man riding on that borrowed
donkey. That's when, as the song says:
"There goes another problem kerplop.
High hopes realized.
Prayer: Thank you Lord Jesus for making our high hopes come true. Amen!