(Psalm 119:147-148) 147 I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in your word. 148 My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promises.
When the weight of life begins to fall
On the name of Jesus I will call
For I know my God is in control
And His purpose is unshakeable
Doesn’t matter what I feel
Doesn’t matter what I see
My hope will always be
Your promises to me.
– “Your Promises” by Elevation Worship
Because of humanity, because we are a mess, because of SIN…life is a guaranteed trial. I don’t care what you say, who you are, or what you do…your life will not always be easy. It just won’t! We’ve been given many promises by God, and no, that’s not one of them…it’s just a consequence that we must endure for a time. Into our lives, sin brings chaos and hurt, and there’s no stopping it sometimes, but as children of God we have been given all of the wisdom, power and authority needed to rise above.
In every situation we have hope, but the thing about hope is that you have to take ownership of it and once it is claimed you then have to decide where to place it. You can place it in other people, you can place it in your career, you can place it in your church and all of the “good” things that you do to support it, but none of the above will ever hold out for long. People fail us, jobs and careers can be lost, and yes even churches fall apart. Do as you wish, but there is only one placement for your hope that is sure to stand above the waters and that is God’s word.
As a believer you lay claim on His word, by your faith, that it is true. So…when you read it and meditate on it, you are ingesting THE TRUTH. God’s word is filled with many things, all of which benefit our walks through life in some way, and every word is perfect and established. Therefore, we have what we need in order to pilot our way through this expedition. Through His word we have our history (which gives us His plan), we are given our commission (which is our purpose), and we have access to the countless promises from God (which give us HOPE).
Without hope, purpose and plan fall apart. 2 Peter 1: 3-4 tells us, “3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.” When we are able to place our hope in the promises, the “very great and precious promises” of God, we are empowered to fulfill the purpose and the plan set before us from the beginning.
Gaining access to these promises does, however, require something from you. It requires discipline. You will have to read, you will have to meditate, you will have to actually CONVERSE with God, and you will have to make time for these things. Yes, it is all easily accessible, but acquiring strength in spirit is a lot like building physical strength…you have to put in work. It is a commitment, and what we all eventually learn about commitment is that sometimes it just doesn’t matter how you are feeling at the moment, or how things look through your natural eyes, because the foundation of a covenant is the promises that were made. When the anxieties, hurts, and disturbances of life make you feel things that are contrary to the truth, if you will go back to the Word…to His promises…you will find that your Heavenly Father is deeply committed to loving you, blessing you, and ensuring that you fulfill your purpose.
(Jeremiah 29: 11-14) 11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity.”
Prayer: Lord, thank you for the hope that is found in Your word. Help me to remember it when my feelings take charge and my sight is skewed, so that I do not hinder my role in Your purpose and plan. Give me strength to be more disciplined in my pursuit of You and my commitment to Your will. Amen.
Living The SpiritLife 