Elizabeth Weber
Lamentations 3:21-26
But this I recall to mind and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, says my soul, therefore I will hope in Him. The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.
What does hope look like and sound like in the kingdom of God?
I meet with a small group of women for bible scrap-booking. We select a weekly scripture or topical word to study. At our next meeting we share what we have learned and show our artistic interpretation. This is a great group of women, loving, kind, and devoted to God. We have a lot in common regarding trials, great loss and tribulations so there is deep compassion and powerful common ground among us. Recently we started a discussion about hope; however we were not able to fully finish that conversation.
As I drove home that evening, I thought about it more. What is the difference between biblical hope and worldly/earthly hope in realistic terms? I know earthly hope is based on man’s ideals and man’s power. It may look like, wishful thinking, optimism, and the use of common phrases hoping to evoke certain outcomes. Additionally, there are various superstitious exercises that one may engage: knocking on wood, wearing a lucky Tshirt, wearing a sacred amulet, or carrying or posting an idol or statue. Earthly hope is focused on man’s ways to get answers to current problems hoping to bring prompt relief.
That evening I realized that if someone were to ask me about biblical hope, I would have a difficult time expressing my answer with good clarity. It was time for me to draw deeper from the scriptures regarding- hope.
The Hebrew language is a combination of letters, pictures and numbers. The following are common Hebrew words for hope.
*Qavah: to wait, to have anticipation along with waiting, related to Hebrew word qav/cord
*Tiqwah/Tikvah: cord or rope, and from a root word (to bind), it abstract idea for hope
Yakhal: to wait for, tarry, stay, used in the sense of stillness or silence
Hope and waiting were understood to be closely related, and somewhat interchangeable.
Think of a cord or rope being pulled until there is great tension. This is a good word picture of hope or waiting during a trial. How do Christians hope/wait in this tension? We are not to be in denial of the situation nor should we feel ashamed when in a trial. But how are we to process through the tension of waiting and remaining in hope?
The scriptures teach us and guide us to Wait Well. That’s what I call hope- waiting well.
Let’s consider and meditate on these 7 keys for BUILDING HOPE from the scriptures. The scriptures I share are obviously not exhaustive but to get us started as we gain understanding of biblical hope/waiting.
1). HOPE in reflection: The Hebrews were instructed to look back; look back to God. (to remember, recall, recite the truths they learned about Him) In looking back, they remembered what God had done in the past, what He taught them about Himself and they reflected on the many promises of God in order to look forward again.
Psalm 77:11-12 I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember Your wonders of old. I will ponder all Your work, and meditate on Your mighty deeds.
Psalm 105:5 Remember the wondrous works He has done, His miracles and the judgments He uttered.
2). HOPE in seeking God: Talk with God, walk with Him and listen to God, enjoy Him. Find out about Him in His wonderful word. Study the word- instead of looking to man, stories and logic that will not sustain us well in the waiting. Become Word-centric.
Psalm 34:4-6 I sought the Lord, and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to Him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him from out of all his troubles.
Jeremiah 29:13 You will seek Me and find Me, when you seek Me with all your heart.
3). HOPE in the power of the Holy Spirit: We are sealed with the Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 1:13) That is covenant language. Depend on the Holy Spirit’s power, not ours, or another persons presumed power. Look at how specifically Holy Spirit ministers...
Isaiah 11:2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him- the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
4). HOPE in counsel: The Lord will counsel us with His wisdom and specifically direct us in our lives. He’s AMAZING!! We only need to ask Him- Go to God first not to others expecting them to provide us with hope. Biblical hope is developed through knowing God in increasing intimacy in the midst of trials. Be cautious who we take counsel from and what environments we place ourselves in. They have influence.
Psalm 119:24 Your testimonies (Gods will and character) are my delight; they are my counselors.
Psalm 33:11 The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations.
*God knows what He is doing in our waiting. He has not forgotten us, nor abandoned us! This is not His character.
5). HOPE in waiting: Learning to wait well. This takes time, perseverance, endurance, and commitment. Stay in the process, don’t run, don’t exit off God’s highway.
Micah 7:7 But as for me, I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.
Psalm 40:1 I waited patiently for the Lord. He inclined to me and heard my cry.
*RELATIONSHIP- God wants to build our relationship with Him in the waiting.
6). HOPE in quietness, stillness, being unmoved, rest:
Psalm 46:10 Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! *Being still, #7503 [relax, let drop, refrain, be quiet]. A word picture- stop ringing our hands, being preoccupied with anxious thoughts- INSTEAD, let our hands drop, sit back and wait well.
Proverbs 17:27-28 The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint, and whoever has understanding is even-tempered.
Have you ever noticed when we are not at rest, we talk a lot more; often these words do not bring us life or bring us healing. Our words need to align with the truths about God that we have learned primarily from scripture.
7). Hope in expectation: The object of our hope is not a specific answer to problems: like a good lab report, a new relationship, a title or position, new job, a different diagnosis or relocation. The object of a Christian’s hope remains the same- it’s God. We are secure in His covenant. He will not/cannot break His covenant with us. We can trust God’s love, He is hesed (covenantal love) at all times.
Isaiah 54:10 “For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but My steadfast love shall not depart from you, and My covenant of peace shall not be removed,” says the Lord , who has compassion on you.
Deuteronomy 7:9 Know therefore, that the Lord your God- is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love Him and keep His commandments to a thousand generations.
Pause and ask--What is the object of my hope- is it God or my personal outcomes and desires? What captures my attention as I wait in hope. What is my focus? Am I distracted by anything in my waiting?
Biblical hope waits for the Lord, not for answers. Biblical hope declares the truth about God BEFORE one receives the answer in a trial or pressing problem. In scripture we have numerous examples of people remaining in faith, as they hoped in God, as they waited for Him. Sometimes the answers never came in this lifetime. Hebrews chapter 11 is famous for this but there are others found in the word.
One of my favorite stories of waiting well is in the book of Esther 4:13. Mordecai says to Esther “Do not think to yourself that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?
Mordecai had learned to wait well for the Lord. He had already decided to trust God and wait for the Lord’s plan to unfold. Mordecai was convinced that nothing would be permitted to thwart the plan of God. This is a clear example of Kingdom HOPE.
Because Mordecai had learned to wait well for God, he was able to powerfully encourage Esther to look to God, trust God, do what God was asking of her and then wait well.
What are we called to do for such a time as this? What are we to speak, tell, and express about God and His kingdom in our waiting during trials?
Biblical HOPE stabilizes us even when the circumstances and environment around us is unstable.
Jesus is THE HOPE that anchors our soul. Regardless of what is going on in our lives...our soul (mind, will, emotions, thoughts, feelings, responses and actions) and therefore our hope is to be anchored in Christ not in human logic or the culture in which we find ourselves.
Hebrews 6:19 We (believers) have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus who went before us, has entered on our behalf.
The scripture at the beginning of this message: Lamentations 3:21-26: Read it again in view of what we have learned about biblical hope: about waiting well. Verse 21 - But this I call to mind/7725/shoob: look back, bring again to original starting point, recall, restore, allow to return, and have hope/3176/yakhal: I wait, tarry, expect.
What is the “this” that we are to call to mind-- God’s truth stated in this scripture is:
Verse 22 -The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.
Verse 24 -“The Lord is my portion”, says my soul, “therefore I will hope/3176/yakhal in Him.”
Verse 25 -The Lord is good to those who wait/6960 qavah (to bind together, like twisting, cord) for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. (Step 2- hope in seeking God.)
Verse 26 -It is good that one should wait/3175/Yakhal quietly1748/still/silently for salvation of the Lord.
Hope is a choice. Waiting well is a developed and committed choice.
Decide to make the choice to wait well. In so doing, we represent the One True God correctly. We remain faithful to the truth of who God declares Himself to be, and we are stable in trials. Thereafter we can help others by accurately modeling a believer who hopes, who waits well for the Lord.
Elizabeth
Elizabeth Weber is passionate about studying the Word of God. She has a Bachelor Degree in Psychology from Southeastern University and a Masters Degree in Theology from North Carolina College of Theology. She is a trained chaplain and ordained minister. She has worked as a hospice and palliative RN at a local hospital. Elizabeth resides in Winter Haven, Florida with her husband David. She loves spending time with her family, 3 children and 4 grandchildren.
Contact: info@thecovenantcenter.com