REDISCOVERING THE ANCIENT PATH—Week of July 18, 2021
Hope in God Alone: Ps. 62:1
We are in Week 24 of our examination of Benedict Nursia’s rules for Christian formation. This week we’ll look at Rules 4.41: Hope in God Alone. Hope is believing in what we cannot see, knowing that God has our future in His hands.
Definition of Hope: trust, still, quiet, wait, rest, desire, expectant, optimistic, look forward to, wish. Hope is a noun and a verb but is mostly used in speech as an action verb—it is a powerful word. Hope is the opposite of “giving up”. When we are weary in mind, soul and body, it is easy to embrace negative thoughts and emotions. This is the best time to “jump-start” your hope. NEVER GIVE UP! Keep on plowing through. Not all our hopes are fulfilled, and that’s because God is smarter than us!
We say we hope and trust in God, and we do to a certain extent, but in times of trial, sometimes we turn to friends first. We look to them for answers and comfort when we should be going to God first. We all lean on other things and on other people in times of trial, but our spiritual hope is in God alone. We find not only hope, but rest, salvation, protection, and much more in God, our Rock. He assures us that we will not be shaken, because He is with us and watches over us. He is our Teacher, and He has the answers that we need. And yes, He can speak to us through our friends, but our dependance should be on Him first.
We tend to put our hope and trust in various things. Psalm 20:7 confirms this: “Some trust in chariots, some in horse, but we will trust in the name of the Lord our God and hope in Him alone.”
Take time this week to re-evaluate your life meaning, to examine deeply what motivates you, what you trust in and how you make your decisions. Be honest. As we learn to trust in God, we are strengthened to share that trust with those who struggle in this area.
Against all odds Abraham hoped in God, and so became the father of many nations. He did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised (Romans 4:18). This is a perfect example for us. In times of difficult trial, David put his hope in God alone. He did not depend on his own ability. David and many other men and women of God that are mentioned in the Bible “did it afraid.” They stood in faith and embraced hope in God. They prayed, trusted, and waited, knowing that in His timing God would work on their behalf. He is our strong tower.
In our human weakness, at times we might compromise our hope in certain areas: family relationships, financial struggles, personal expectations, etc. We have hope because of God’s consistent great love and constant compassion toward us. As long as we remember that He loves us unconditionally, we will always have hope. We’ve heard the term “keep the faith.” Let’s “keep the hope.”
Questions:
- What do you turn to when you feel hopeless in certain areas…finances, relationships, health, family, etc.?
- Do you make your own decisions and then act, or do you pray first before making your decisions, asking God to guide you?
- Explain the difference in hoping in God, hoping in others, and hoping in things.
- On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest, how would you rate your level of hope and trust in God?
