By Rabbi Dr. Esther Boucher
HOLD ON TO HOPE
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When going through trials and troubles, do you wonder if god is still
there? Sometimes it's hard to feel God with you. We all wrestle with
thoughts like these to some degree. When people are in despair, it is
often said, their faith has been destroyed. We bundle everything
together as faith and forget the other ingredients that must be
operative. Faith is imperative, Heb. 11:6 says with Faith it is
impossible to please God. But what about hope? With it, faith cannot
produce the desired results. We will look at destroyers of hopeas well
as how people in the Bible hold on to hope.
Prayer
Let's compare Faith to hope for a moment.
Faith deals with details Hope deals with deity
Faith finds its foundation Hope is a mental attitude
in the Word Hope is the motivator
Faith is the activator that brings us to Jesus
and the channel for the in the first place.
Miracles of Jesus
Hope is defined as the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that
events will turn out well, to believe desire or trust. Faith is the
dynamite that explodes truth and brings us from doubt into belief;
from defeat into victory; from the unseen to the seen.
God's word produces hope, which causes faith to rise, which brings
results. Romans 15:4 tells us for whatsoever things were written
aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and
comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.
2 Kings 4:8-37 - In this reading we can see the prophet Elisha enjoyed
the company of the Shunammite woman and her husband and visited
there each time he was in their city. As Elisha rested in the room they
had prepared for him, the Spirit of God prodded his heart that he
wanted to bless this couple. So he asked them if they would like a
position in government. But the woman told him that she need no
favors; that she had ministered to him that she might learn more about
God. The Lord them prodded Elisha a second time, so he asked
Gehazi his servant if he knew of anything this couple needed. Gehazi
replied they have no children and her husband is getting old. So Elisha
told the Shunammite woman that she would have a son by the
following year and she did.
When the child was older he became sick and cried out in pain. His
mother held his limp body and heard his shallow breathing. Then his
breathing stopped. Most of us would have said he's dead and that's
that, but his mother carried him to the room build for Elisha, shut the
door and told her servants to get her a donkey. Why did she respond
this way? She knew God and her hope sent her straight to Elisha for a
miracle. Despite this devastating event the Shunammite woman
refused to lose hope. After she explained to Elisha what happened,
Elisha send Gehazi to raise him from the dead, but it didn't work. Still
she did not give up. Then Elisha came and shut himself up with the
woman's son, and he didn't come out of the room until the boy was
restored to life.
Hope in God's Word produced the desired miracle. Satan's attack
may not be against our faith so much as our hope, for he knows hope
is what it takes for us to have faith. It is easier for Satan to discourage
us emotionally than spiritually. But he can not alter the Word of
God. We have to stand on God's promises and know our circum-
stances cannot defeat us.
Many have believed God for a particular need whether physical,
emotional, spiritual, financial etc. Then when the answer did not
come right away, they lost hope. Faith says He is able, Hope says
God is willing. Often there is a time lapse between the giving and
fulfilling of God's promise. During that time we are tested. It is then
that fear can rob our hope and paralyze our faith.
John 11 - In the town of Bethany lived a family Jesus loved dearly.
Mary, Martha and Lazarus. Tragedy struck and Lazarus became
deathly ill. The sisters sent word to Jesus. They felt no need to be
concerned because Jesus would soon be there. Lazarus became
unconscious and the days passed and Lazarus died. Four days after
his death Jesus showed up. But during that wait they fought doubt,
anger and fear. They were disappointed that Jesus didn't come when
they thought he should. When Mary saw him she fell down at his feet
and said Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.
In John 11:35 we read that Jesus wept when his dear friend Lazarus
died. He understood the trouble and sorrow. Jesus walked up to the
opening of the tomb and in a loud voice declared, Lazarus, come
forth! Immediately, Lazarus arose and walked into the daylight, still
bound hand and foot in grave clothes. When God gives a promise, He
will perform. Romans 4:17 - He is the one who calls things that are
not as though there were.
There are 3 things that can destroy our hope.
1.) When we believe what we see. When the devil succeeds in
making the circumstances seam bigger then the creator, hope is lost.
We become vulnerable if we take our eyes off Jesus. Satan will use
this to bring fear and paralyze our ability to believe. Jesus promised
trouble would come our way, but He also promised never to leave or
forsake us.
2.) When we battle God's promise. The same enemy who tempted
those in the Bible including Jesus still tries to convince us God's
promises are not true. Remember, circumstances are not greater than
the power of our God.
3.) When we become our own answer. Waiting is hard, including
waiting on God. When we devise ways to bring about what God said
He would do, that's when trouble comes. Impatience leads erratic
behavior. We try on thing and it does not work; we do another and it
does not work. Consequently, we become confused and wonder if
God really spoke to us. The further we venture out on our own, the
deeper the trouble becomes.
God has set the date for performing what he promised. We have to
wait for His time. Reading and believing the Word of God will
produce hope and help us hold on while we wait on God, the source
of hope. If God is the God of hope, then God is in control. It doesn't
matter what man says - only what God says. There is no
circumstance too great, no tragedy to heartbreaking, no addiction to
devastating to conquer hope. The Bible says in Romans 8:31 - If God
is for us, who can be against us? I challenge you Hold on to hope,
believe in God's promises, and stand on His Word.
there? Sometimes it's hard to feel God with you. We all wrestle with
thoughts like these to some degree. When people are in despair, it is
often said, their faith has been destroyed. We bundle everything
together as faith and forget the other ingredients that must be
operative. Faith is imperative, Heb. 11:6 says with Faith it is
impossible to please God. But what about hope? With it, faith cannot
produce the desired results. We will look at destroyers of hopeas well
as how people in the Bible hold on to hope.
Prayer
Let's compare Faith to hope for a moment.
Faith deals with details Hope deals with deity
Faith finds its foundation Hope is a mental attitude
in the Word Hope is the motivator
Faith is the activator that brings us to Jesus
and the channel for the in the first place.
Miracles of Jesus
Hope is defined as the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that
events will turn out well, to believe desire or trust. Faith is the
dynamite that explodes truth and brings us from doubt into belief;
from defeat into victory; from the unseen to the seen.
God's word produces hope, which causes faith to rise, which brings
results. Romans 15:4 tells us for whatsoever things were written
aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and
comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.
2 Kings 4:8-37 - In this reading we can see the prophet Elisha enjoyed
the company of the Shunammite woman and her husband and visited
there each time he was in their city. As Elisha rested in the room they
had prepared for him, the Spirit of God prodded his heart that he
wanted to bless this couple. So he asked them if they would like a
position in government. But the woman told him that she need no
favors; that she had ministered to him that she might learn more about
God. The Lord them prodded Elisha a second time, so he asked
Gehazi his servant if he knew of anything this couple needed. Gehazi
replied they have no children and her husband is getting old. So Elisha
told the Shunammite woman that she would have a son by the
following year and she did.
When the child was older he became sick and cried out in pain. His
mother held his limp body and heard his shallow breathing. Then his
breathing stopped. Most of us would have said he's dead and that's
that, but his mother carried him to the room build for Elisha, shut the
door and told her servants to get her a donkey. Why did she respond
this way? She knew God and her hope sent her straight to Elisha for a
miracle. Despite this devastating event the Shunammite woman
refused to lose hope. After she explained to Elisha what happened,
Elisha send Gehazi to raise him from the dead, but it didn't work. Still
she did not give up. Then Elisha came and shut himself up with the
woman's son, and he didn't come out of the room until the boy was
restored to life.
Hope in God's Word produced the desired miracle. Satan's attack
may not be against our faith so much as our hope, for he knows hope
is what it takes for us to have faith. It is easier for Satan to discourage
us emotionally than spiritually. But he can not alter the Word of
God. We have to stand on God's promises and know our circum-
stances cannot defeat us.
Many have believed God for a particular need whether physical,
emotional, spiritual, financial etc. Then when the answer did not
come right away, they lost hope. Faith says He is able, Hope says
God is willing. Often there is a time lapse between the giving and
fulfilling of God's promise. During that time we are tested. It is then
that fear can rob our hope and paralyze our faith.
John 11 - In the town of Bethany lived a family Jesus loved dearly.
Mary, Martha and Lazarus. Tragedy struck and Lazarus became
deathly ill. The sisters sent word to Jesus. They felt no need to be
concerned because Jesus would soon be there. Lazarus became
unconscious and the days passed and Lazarus died. Four days after
his death Jesus showed up. But during that wait they fought doubt,
anger and fear. They were disappointed that Jesus didn't come when
they thought he should. When Mary saw him she fell down at his feet
and said Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.
In John 11:35 we read that Jesus wept when his dear friend Lazarus
died. He understood the trouble and sorrow. Jesus walked up to the
opening of the tomb and in a loud voice declared, Lazarus, come
forth! Immediately, Lazarus arose and walked into the daylight, still
bound hand and foot in grave clothes. When God gives a promise, He
will perform. Romans 4:17 - He is the one who calls things that are
not as though there were.
There are 3 things that can destroy our hope.
1.) When we believe what we see. When the devil succeeds in
making the circumstances seam bigger then the creator, hope is lost.
We become vulnerable if we take our eyes off Jesus. Satan will use
this to bring fear and paralyze our ability to believe. Jesus promised
trouble would come our way, but He also promised never to leave or
forsake us.
2.) When we battle God's promise. The same enemy who tempted
those in the Bible including Jesus still tries to convince us God's
promises are not true. Remember, circumstances are not greater than
the power of our God.
3.) When we become our own answer. Waiting is hard, including
waiting on God. When we devise ways to bring about what God said
He would do, that's when trouble comes. Impatience leads erratic
behavior. We try on thing and it does not work; we do another and it
does not work. Consequently, we become confused and wonder if
God really spoke to us. The further we venture out on our own, the
deeper the trouble becomes.
God has set the date for performing what he promised. We have to
wait for His time. Reading and believing the Word of God will
produce hope and help us hold on while we wait on God, the source
of hope. If God is the God of hope, then God is in control. It doesn't
matter what man says - only what God says. There is no
circumstance too great, no tragedy to heartbreaking, no addiction to
devastating to conquer hope. The Bible says in Romans 8:31 - If God
is for us, who can be against us? I challenge you Hold on to hope,
believe in God's promises, and stand on His Word.