Hopeful?

As I read this morning the word hope jumped out at me. It has haunted me lately in the words I hear and things I read.

I consider myself a rather positive person, trying to see the best in people and situations. I’ve learned to trust and realize that God often uses the worst situations to bring out the best in people.

I have had faith. But hope…I’m not so sure.

I’ve been faith filled that God will resolve my problems, predicaments or whatever I’m dealing with yet it I think I’ve managed to do so without being hopeful.

Merriam Webster defines hope as to “cherish a desire with anticipation.” Cherish is defined “to feel or show great love.”

Faith on the other hand is “belief and trust in God.”

I have believed and trusted God but I haven’t always “cherished with desire” and certainly not in a loving manner in regards to some of the changes I would like to see.”

Sadly, frustration with various circumstances can leave me far from loving.

It is easy for me to believe God can do whatever needs to be done, but today I realize I have not anticipated His deliverance with “great love.”

Desperation?

Maybe.

Love?

Not so much.

I wonder if some of the changes I’d like to see would come about if I not only believed God can change them but I acknowledged with hope that He loves me enough to change them?

I have had ample trust enough to survive varied circumstances, yet I’ve failed sometimes to be hopeful with the expectation to thrive beyond them!

What an eye opener for me this morning when Jennifer over at I Give God all the Glory  passed along Psalms 33 for me to read. In particular, Psalm 33:20-22 set off an alarm in my head.

Our soul waits for the Lord;
He is our help and our shield.
For our heart shall rejoice in Him,
Because we have trusted in His holy name.
Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us,
Just as we hope in You. 

Trust and hope.   

I always thought faith was enough. But now…

I love my kids. I know I am pleased when one of my boys trusts me and expects something good is going to happen. I like it when they trust me and know I’ve moved beyond whatever mistakes they made and they can anticipate a gift I wrapped for them is going to be something they have “hoped” for.

Wouldn’t our Father be just as pleased?

And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 1:13 NKJV

Abide these three.

Maybe hope is what I’ve been missing all along…

 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word. 1 Thessalonians 2:16-17 NIV