Hope Against Hope

Hope can sometimes seem like a fleeting thought. One moment things seem hopeful, the next you find yourself in despair. How do we have hope against hope?

Leading up to Easter God was speaking to us as a church about having hope. Ultimately hope is not in something we want to see happen, but in God Himself. God and our relationship with Him is the source of all hope. As Christians we have been "born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ" (1 Pet 1:3).

God had given a promise to Abraham that he would be "a father of many nations" (Rom 4:17). Then God told Abraham to sacrifice his only son. I am sure Abraham wondered, "how can I become the father of many nations if my only son dies?" In "hope against hope" (Rom 4:18) Abraham believed that God could even raise the dead to bring about God's promises in his life.

So often we quote verses to encourage us, but sometimes we miss the significance of the context in which they were written. Lamentations 3:22-23 are two such verses ...

[22] The LORD's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,

For His compassions never fail. [23] They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.

Several verses previous to these verses help to put these verses in context and bring and even greater significance to them. In verses 19-20 David reminds God of the great difficulties he is currently experiencing. He is going through a real hard time in his life. Then he says this ...

[21] This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope.

From here David writes verses 22-23. In these verses David was recalling to his mind, in the middle of his difficulties, truths about God that again produced hope in his heart. Therefore David could believe, as Abraham did, in "hope against hope." God's Word is a powerful tool to help us focus on God, His truthfulness, His faithfulness, and His love in difficult times. As we reflect on verses that tell us about the goodness of God, it produces hope in our heart.

In Romans 12:12 Paul talks about "rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation," and "being devoted to prayer." We can persevere through difficult times by recalling to our minds the goodness of God and devoting ourselves to prayer.
Have you struggled with losing your hope? What have you put your hope in? Have you considered the nature and character of God and has it restored hope to your heart?