Pastor John’s message yesterday (29 June 2014) on “Building Blocks – Hope” made me reflect on my hope experiences.
Apart from asking myself how I may be able to share or give hope to others, I also contemplated the quality of hope I can give.
His challenge: Who can give true hope in a world with so many unfulfilled promises? God is building something in us, and the capacity to both life and communicate hope is one of the building blocks.
My hope experiences had taught me that it’s only when I put my total and absolute trust in what God can do that I can hope completely in God.
I have learned that to experience real hope, I need to “let go 100% and let God 100%.”
What makes hope less is the human element portion that we put in.
On the one hand, I contemplated that any iota of hope I placed on my personal capabilities also, on the other hand, becomes my germ of doubt on God’s power.
This “doubt germ”, if always present in situations that demand my fervent hope in God, easily germinates, invading the Godly element and would result in causing hopelessness.
Thus, the hopeless situation was settled more on my personal effort than on God’s Almighty power.
Looking back at the many hopeless instances I went through. I felt hopeless and desperate when I focused more on what I can do, cracking my brain trying to sort out possible solutions and not on what the Lord God has planned for me.
However, when I let go and put my hands up in full surrender, accepting my incapability and focusing intently on what God can do, anticipating the solution He already had for me, my hope arises.
Then peace and quiet govern my body and spirit because my hope is God and Him alone.
Psalm 55:22-23 gives us a calming assurance.
22 Cast your cares on the Lord
and he will sustain you;
he will never let
the righteous be shaken.
23 But you, God, will bring down the wicked
into the pit of decay;
the bloodthirsty and deceitful
will not live out half their days.
But as for me, I trust in you.
Friends, may this short reflection inspire you to evaluate your hope experiences.
May our hope grow more and more as we build it on nothing less but Jesus Christ.
PHOTO CREDIT: Ross Waugh
