Category: hope

An enemy of faith is doubt; an enemy of love is self. Interestingly, an enemy of hope is self-doubt.

In self-doubt there is no longer any serious doubt of God. If anything, God is too real. He is far more immense than our puny little selves can cope with. Sometimes we would like to turn Him off, like the television set, but we cannot. Instead we are wholly alive to God; He is more present to us than we are to ourselves. It is not God’s reality we doubt, but our own. We look at the life of Jesus and it petrifies us. We doubt very much we can follow Him or obey Him or in any way please Him, let alone glorify Him and be like Him.

This is the struggle of doubt, and it is the fundamental struggle in the book of Job. Between the lines of every verse we hear Job asking, “With my life in such a terrible mess, is it possible to believe that even now I might be pleasing to God?” This same overwhelming self-doubt is finally and gloriously resolved by the very God whose holiness so overwhelms us. For so simple is His gospel that it asks nothing of us but this: having believed in His Son, we take hold of the hope that, however messed up our lives may be, we are in fact more pleasing to the Father than we can possibly comprehend.

Paul tells us we can rejoice in our sufferings because as we persevere, we eventually reach hope – a hope that does not disappoint. “And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.” (Romans 5:2-5)

The enemy condemns, shames, criticizes, and uses circumstances to make us believe we are unworthy, incapable, and without hope. Without the Father, Son, and Spirit, the devil’s accusations hold truth… but Jesus has accomplished what none of us could. His righteousness is now our righteousness; His love is now our love; and His relationship with the Father is His gift to all who put their faith in Him. If He tells us to do something, we can do it… no doubt!

Through all Paul’s sufferings, perseverance, and molding of character, he reached the mature place where his hope was totally in Christ… not in his own efforts or possessions or skills. Writing from prison with no trace of self-doubt, he tells the Philippian Christians that through Jesus, all things are possible. What a great message of hope!

“I can do all things through Christ who give me strength.” Philippians 4:13

“My hope is built on nothing less that Jesus blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
His oath, His covenant, His blood, support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way, He then is all my hope and stay.
On Christ the solid Rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.” (hymn by Edward Mote)

Quote from The Gospel According to Job, by Mike Mason, ©1994 Crossway Books, p 128

I stopped at a red light in the city of Atlanta recently and noticed a man about my age across the street. He was pacing the sidewalk in front of some small businesses talking to himself and occasionally shouting. No one walked close to the man and as I waited for the light to turn green, I wondered if the disturbed person had any place to go or anyone to take care of him. I also wondered what the owners of the small businesses thought about his presence.

Citizens of a town in Jesus’ day tried to deal with a man with serious problems. At times people had tried to contain this man with shackles, but with supernatural strength, he would break the chains. He wandered around the tombs near the Sea of Galilee without clothes, cutting himself with stones and shouting in a loud voice. I imagine the townspeople just kept their distance and tried not to think of him.

When Jesus and his disciples landed on the shore near the graveyard, the man encountered the One who has no fear and loves all people. He fell at the feet of Jesus and cried: “What do you want with me, Son of the Most High God?” Satan was the cause of the lonely man’s troubles. “What is your name?” Jesus asked. “The name is Legion, for we are many.” Begging not to be cast into the Abyss, the demons asked to enter another location and Jesus agreed. He cast Legion out of the man and the evil spirits entered a herd of about two thousand pigs. (See Mark 5 and Luke 8)

Our son Taylor was talking to me about this story recently. “What about the owner of the pigs, Dad?” I had never thought about the owner of the pigs. The caretakers were surely upset because the whole herd ran straight into the Sea of Galilee and drowned. When the townspeople arrived and heard the story, they were afraid and asked Jesus to leave. But we’re not told about the owner. “What do you think?” I asked Taylor. “I think he had to make a big decision. He had to either focus on the pigs or focus on the person.”

If the owner focused on the pigs, it was a dark day, possibly the worst of his career. But if he could look past personal loss, he would see a life rescued from evil and a man miraculously changed. Maybe we all face similar questions. Do we focus on the person or the pigs? Are people more important to us than possessions?

The healed man wanted to get in the boat and join the disciples, but the Savior said, “No, I want you to go to your hometown and tell everyone what God has done for you.” Maybe the first person he visited was the owner of the pigs. Maybe he helped the owner recover his loss. Perhaps the owner of the pigs became a lover of Jesus too. Maybe one day in Heaven we’ll learn the rest of the story…

“[Jesus] stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. Unrolling it, He found the place where it is written: ‘The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.’” Luke 4:16-19

Susan and I have a soft spot in our hearts for nurses… especially since our daughter Kinsey is one. We have also seen the huge difference a nurse can make in health struggles throughout the years. As Susan’s mom Lou left the hospital to go home, twelve days before she passed away, a nurse told us a beautiful story.

We had already fallen in love with this nurse because she had fallen in love with Lou. Sincere care is not easily faked. We knew Angelica had a special place in her heart for Lou, who was alert but not able to fully communicate because of a stroke. Angelica said to Susan that last day in the hospital, “Your mom and I sang together after breakfast this morning.”

Susan’s family is not exactly known for singing, so this was an interesting comment. “What did you sing?” we asked. “She wanted to sing an Elvis song so that’s what we did.” “An Elvis song?” we asked as I was trying to picture Angelica and Lou singing Jailhouse Rock or some other catchy tune. “You know,” she replied, “the one that says, He walks with me and He talks with me, and He tells me I am His own.”

Two weeks later, a congregation of family and brothers and sisters in Christ sang this hymn about sweet fellowship as we honored Lou Taylor.

I Come To The Garden Alone by C. Austin Miles

I come to the garden alone,
While the dew is still on the roses;
And the voice I hear, falling on my ear,
The Son of God discloses.

And He walks with me and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own;
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.

He speaks, and the sound of His voice
Is so sweet the birds hush their singing
And the melody that He gives to me,
Within my heart is ringing.

And He walks with me and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own;
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.

I’d stay in the garden with Him,
Tho’ the night around me be falling
But He bids me go: thru the voice of woe,
His voice to me is calling.

And He walks with me and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own;
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.

“Awake, north wind, and come, south wind! Blow on my garden, that its fragrance may spread abroad. Let my lover come into his garden and taste its choice fruits.” Song of Songs 4:16

In class last week, my students read articles and gave reports on persecution occuring in many countries around the world. At the end of each presentation, the student was asked to share what we can learn from our brothers and sisters who are living for Jesus in difficult places. These young Americans were astounded at the stories of courage and perseverance despite physical beatings, imprisonment, and murder of friends and family members. Many contrasted Christians full of faith, hope, and love with what is witnessed in their own culture: shallow faith, lack of passion, and little mention of hope. The most common ‘lesson’ mentioned, however, seemed to conflict with these sentiments of admiration. “We should be thankful we live in a place where we can practice our religion without fear of persecution.” Of course I agree we are to give thanks for all blessings, but the more I heard teenagers honestly reflect on present day persecution, the more I questioned which Christians are truly blessed.

I have a good friend who is one of the most successful basketball coaches in the state of Georgia. Every season he seeks out the toughest schedule for his team to play. This year his team has been on the losing end of several close games and presently has a mediocre record. But the coach knows what he is doing. By playing the toughest competition he is preparing his team to win a state championship. (His teams have won the last two years.) If a coach with an easier schedule boasted about being undefeated while demolishing every opponent, my friend would just smile and think, “Yeah, but your team is not prepared to win a championship because when you face the tough team at the end of the season you won’t be able to withstand the pressure.”

Hope should be an important word for every Christian. Hope is more than a wish; it rests in our faith which involves confident anticipation. “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Heb 11:1) Paul explains that hope can actually flow from suffering: “And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” (Rom 5:2-4) The wise coach is willing for his team to suffer loss now in order to learn to persevere and get stronger. It is interesting that often the locations where more people are entering the Kingdom are in places of persecution. With their own lives on the line, many are boldly sharing the gospel with those that are lost. “Christ gave himself for you; now give yourself to Christ! Yes, it will cost you all you have, but He is worth it!”

The comment that probably bothered me most last week went something like this: “We don’t really have to depend on God in our country, but these Christians have to depend on God every day.” So who has the advantage? What should we do? Should we all board a plane for North Korea and endure a little persecution? These are the questions high school students ask. I pray their teacher gives some good answers: “Our hope is in the One who has saved us… and He is far wiser than any basketball coach. Jesus is the Author and Perfecter of our faith and we are to totally trust him and obey what He tells us to do. God has assigned the time and the place we were born. He has a purpose for each of us and that purpose is realized the more we seek first his Kingdom. The Christians in hostile areas do not struggle against flesh and blood, but against powers and spiritual forces of this dark world. The devil hates the sold-out Christian in our country just as much as anyone. Ask God to help you grow in faith. Ask him to show you how to depend on him more and more. Ask for the Holy Spirit to fill you daily with God’s love. Beware of the constant distractions that pull us away from him. Draw close to God and get to know him. Opposition will eventually rise up as you seek him first. Perhaps not the exact type you’ve read about in foreign lands, but, believe me, you will face trials. And when you do, don’t shrink back, but praise God. Ask him to help you persevere through every difficulty. You will find that God is faithful and He will allow you to help others along the way.”

“We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing. Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring. All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering.” II Thess 1:3-5

“May the God of hope give you all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13

This verse fell out of my Bible our first morning in Africa. Kinsey had written it in a note while I was in the hospital this past summer. I quoted it to our friends, the Hunters, one morning and reflected on the name of the school they started in Namibia – Community Hope School. “God gave us that name six years ago on Easter Sunday,” Suzanne said. “The pastor was preaching about the hope Jesus had – even while hanging on the cross. His death was bringing hope to the world. His sacrifice would not be in vain. And since all things are possible for God, Jesus knew there was going to be a resurrection. We felt like these children we are serving and the community in which they live need this same miraculous hope.” Maybe we all need this miraculous hope.

“… that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” I often think of the power of the Holy Spirit healing the sick or casting out demons or performing signs and wonders. But God knows in this world it takes the power of his Holy Spirit to hope the way we should. Katatura is the poorest section of Windhoek, the capital of Namibia. Many think it has the highest rate of AIDS in the nation. We hear statistics about AIDS and shake our heads, but I have a different perspective now. I rode to school one morning with Jodi, a Canadian missionary we’ve known for several years. We stopped to pick up Bless and Katerine, a four year old boy and nine year old girl. As they ran to our car, Jodi said, “I’ll be back.” A few minutes later a frail lady walked out of the house to tell her kids goodbye. “Bye bye Mommy,” the children shouted. I was introduced to Agnes and then we drove off.

“Agnes is my age and she is about to die,” Jodi said. “She has AIDS.” “How old are you?” I asked. “Twenty-seven.” Statistics become more powerful when you see a face or when you carry impacted kids to school or when you think of your own twenty-something year old children. So where’s the hope? Bless and Katerine aren’t the only students at Community Hope School with such difficult circumstances. I think every child has already lost loved ones to this deadly disease. But when you walk into the school, hope is all around. Smiling faces reflect peace and joy. Teachers overflow with hope and love. Eager first graders through sixth graders study English, Math, Science, Health, and Bible. Beautiful African ladies prepare daily meals for the eighty-eight students. Each child gets a dose of vitamins for dessert. There is laughter, mischief, nurturing, and discipline… the things common in good schools. By the effort of committed educators and workers and by the power of the Holy Spirit, hope abounds.

So I’ve decided I want to overflow with hope at my school and in my city and in my home. And when things seem dark and hopeless, I’m going to remember Jesus on the cross. No act of obedience will be in vain; resurrection is a part of the plan; and “with God, all things are possible.”

“And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the power of the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” Romans 5:2-5