Everywhere I turn, I am seeing good and godly people struggling just to hold on. Friends are in dire straits financially. Strong Christians are sick and not getting better. Panic and fear are gripping those who should know better.
This causes two things to happen: One, anger rises up in the core of my being – anger that I still don’t have enough victory myself to be able to help them all; anger that the devil is having a field day trampling down God’s people. Two, my desire to find the causes, the answers and the manifestation of the promises of God is kicked up into high gear.
At 3:30 this morning, while talking to God, I realized that many Christians say they are “standing in faith”, but they really are not. They are “standing in hope”. The hope is not biblical hope, though; it is akin to worldly wishing. “I hope I get better”, “I hope I get that job”, “I hope we can pay the mortgage this month”, “I hope the economy gets better soon”, and “I sure hope God comes through”.
Part of the reason they have gone from biblical hope (earnest expectation for God to perform His word), is that their shields of faith are riddled with dents from fiery darts. Their helmets of salvation are sitting lopsided on their heads. Their breastplates of righteousness are tarnished. The belts of truth around their waists need a couple more notches to tighten them up. Their swords are rusty and need a trip to the sharpener. Their shoes of peace have turned into flip-flops of stress and worry.
Another reason they are wishing instead of being in biblical hope is that they have not truly transferred their burdens to Him. Yes, they say they have, but they really haven’t. I do that all the time. “God, please take care of this for me”, I say in the morning, and then proceed to think about it and let it simmer inside me all day long. Partly because the issue doesn’t get solved immediately and partly because I won’t let God have the time He needs to solve it for me.
In saying all of this, it is not to put condemnation upon anyone – not even myself. I am saying it because we need to take a step back from the pain, the fear and the stress. We MUST get in closer to God now! We need to stop navigating by our feelings and instead do so by the word of God. Psalm 91:1 says, “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide in the shadow of the Almighty”. What a great place to be!
The ONLY kind of hope that we must have is clearly stated in Hebrew 11:1: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”.
God wants us to get our hopes up! Hope in Him! Hope in His word! Let’s put the devil on notice by getting into the word of God and standing in faith on what it says, and not what the world and our circumstances say!
Keep the faith!
Oh this is so true. What helps me sometimes, when I am thinking on things like business, etc., I will take my hands and lift them up in the air and say Lord I took on this trouble again and right now give it back to you. Then I trade Him. I trade Him for the peace, love, joy, patience, kindness, mercy and temperance that only He can give.
Your emails sure come at a great time.