HOPE

(Thanks to Jody Vickery and Twickenham for this inspiring lesson!)
"In anxiety, we anticipate the possibility of danger, in hope we anticipate possible deliverance" Jurgen Moltmann
God called Abraham to leave behind everything he knew to follow Him. And he did. Expecting God's promises he ended up in a land of famine. (Sound like anything in your life?)
Anticipating danger, in fear, he devised a plan. (Again, does this sound like anything you've done?)He went to Egypt and coerced his beautiful bride into presenting herself as his sister. Pharaoh then took her as his wife and Abraham became a wealthy man. Sounds nice huh? Well, he eventually was found out and they were forced to leave. Abraham started out on a journey towards something and now found himself running from something. He started out hopeful but soon acted out of fear. He panicked, as we all do. 
What good comes from acting out of a place of fear?

God knows that He's got us and everything will be ok, eventually. Unfortunately, we can’t see when/how He's going to deliver us or always believe that He can or will.

Why would God deliver me when I’ve been so unfaithful and selfish and will his deliverance truly be enough? We then bundle up in our coat of fear and hesitation and stagnation. We love a little less and silence our God-given dreams because we think we will stay comfortable and protected. How can we bear our naked selves in hope when the fear of being let down is looming over us?

WE WILL BE LET DOWN, it's inevitable. People will wound us, our health will fail, money will come and go, our houses will get old. Our president is not who we want it to be. 

HOWEVER, God offers us a slew of promises that will NEVER let us down. 

HE WILL ALWAYS LOVE US.

HE WILL ALWAYS FORGIVE US.

HE WILL ALWAYS HEAL US.

We 100%, unashamedly can cast our hope on Him without fear. This won’t promise us a comfortable life, but it does promise us a loved, forgiven, ETERNAL life.

Should we then place no hope in things of Earth? Forget people. They certainly are not God and will hurt me. Why take care of my body if it’s going to fail me? Why have dreams for my children? Would living that way really be better? Being alone, miserable, and afraid with a whole bunch of regret. That doesn't sound very delightful.

Instead, what if at the end we get to say "well at least I gave everything I could!". Will loving ever produce regret? After my first fiancée left 3 months before our wedding, I wished I wouldn't have ever loved him. But if I didn't, I wouldn't have had a first love. I wouldn't have learned more about love. I wouldn't have found my next loves.


If we love as Jesus did, we have nothing to fear...

Perfect love casts out fear.

What is perfect love? Loving despite the risk. Think putting all your money into something with the risk of ZERO return on investment.

Terrible business plan but fulfilling life plan.

 Does God love us first without knowing if we will love Him back?

Yes, yet he loves us fully knowing that we will hurt him over and over and over again. That's the chance He takes because He tells us WE ARE WORTH THE RISK.

"While we were still sinners, God died for us."
Loving and giving of ourselves for no selfish gain or with no expectation is how we walk as God’s children. It is how we live out Jesus in us. It is where we find peace….joy… HOPE.

"We rejoice in suffering because suffering produces perseverance.  Perseverance, character, and character, HOPE. AND HOPE WILL NEVER DISAPPOINT." (Romans 5:3-5) What is that hope? GOD. Through every hurt we face, there is God.

 We will be let down, but God picks us up and binds us back together. Let’s walk in hope, not fear.