~~ The Beauty of Hope ~~

Hope. A word so powerful that it can mean the difference between life and death. Without hope there is no reason to go on, no reason to try, and no reason to believe that there's anything worth holding on to. Without hope our life is but a passing wind... a flower that withers away into nothingness. Our lives have no passion, no direction, no purpose if we don't have hope. But where can this hope be found?

For those of us who have come to know the Lord on a deeply personal level, our joy in Him overflows! We bow our hearts in prayer, meditate on His Word day and night, and see Creation as His divine artwork. We smile as we watch the rain fall from the sky and remember His promise when we see the rainbow that follows the storm. In these things we find hope. Although life has it's troubles, and some may seem unbearable, at the end of the day we have the assurance of Eternity to hold on to. Our hope is found in Salvation and "nothing can separate us from the love of God that is found in Christ Jesus." (Romans 8:38 & 39).

But what about the broken? What about the souls so deperately in need of a Savior? What about those who would give anything to hear the message of Salvation? Oh, if only we'd look past the outer appearance. The Holy Word tells us that "man looks at the outer appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7) I long for His Eternal perspective.

How convicted I was this morning as I listened to "Does Anybody Hear Her?" by Casting Crowns. How many times throughout my life have I walked past another and been completely disgusted at their lifestyle? How many times have I chosen not to speak to someone new at church because of the way they were dressed or how they spoke? It breaks my heart as I consider how many people never came back because they felt so judged and alone. If only I would have reached out...

Forgive me, Lord, for forgetting that Your desire is that none should perish. Forgive me, Lord, for overlooking the very hearts you have brought into my life to touch. Lord, give me Your eyes so I can see the tears behind the smile. Give me Your ears so I can hear the silent cries of the broken. Give me Your touch so I can reach out to the lost. And give me Your heart, Lord, so I can love the unlovable.

But is there hope for us to change? Is there even a chance that we will leave behind the pedistal we've built for ourselves and choose instead to seek the lost? And when we find them, how do we convince them of the hope that is found in Christ alone? What if they reject us? What shall we do then?

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." ~Romans 12:12

And what shall we do then, Lord? Where will you lead us and for how long must we endure the rejection of the world?

"And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us." ~Romans 5:2b-5

But what if we see no results? What if we keep praying, keep hoping, keep perservering and still cannot see if we are making a difference?

"For faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." ~Hebrews 11:1

Oh Lord, at times I grow so weary of resisting the enemy. My human body limits me... my spirit is willing but my flesh is weak. Where can I find the strength to go on when my flesh refuses the journey?

"But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." ~Isaiah 40:31

I see it clearly now, Lord. Your desire is that I should plant seeds, but it's up to you to water them and make them grow.

"Other men see only a hopeless end, but the Christian rejoices in an endless hope."

~ Gilbert M. Beeken