Hope in the Lord

Background Scripture: Jeremiah 17
Lesson Scripture: Jeremiah 17:5-17

Introduction

Hope is a basic need of every person. It is essential for our spiritual, emotional, and physical well-being. Without hope, life is a miserable existence in which we miss the real reason for living. A person without hope lives in one of the following: captivity to the present circumstances, in regretful memory of the past, or in fear of the future. Hope gives purpose for both today and tomorrow, a reason to meet every day with a clear outlook. True hope is anchored in the immutable promises of God. Take courage, fellow traveler! If life is dreary and the road looks long, God has a bright tomorrow for those who turn to Him as the eternal refuge for the soul.

Key Verse

Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God (Ps. 42:11).

Lesson Scripture

Studying the Lesson

The lesson text draws our attention to the difference of trusting in man and trusting in God, the deceitfulness of man’s heart, and God’s ability to search the heart.

It is difficult for man to discern the true intent or motivation of his heart because of its deceptive nature. The heart that is given free rein will tend to its own selfish interests and desires because of its deceitful nature. This obscures our perception of whether we are really trusting in God or trusting in man. We by nature give more credence to our own understanding than we do to to the understanding of others.

When God comes on the scene, the real intents and motives of the heart are revealed. We need to covet the understanding of our deep inner need that only God can give. As we trust in God with implicit faith and bring our lives to Him, He will direct us. When we are under his care, we can flourish and grow in his love.

One of the greater hindrances to faith and submission to God’s will is our fear that if we release our supposed control of things, He will not give us what we want. To hope in the Lord is to believe that God has only our good in mind and that his providential care is ultimately better than anything we may want or choose for ourselves. This hope is a fruit of the new birth and conversion.

Practical Truths for Today

Security is one of the basic emotional and physical needs of humankind. God created us secure in Himself; however, after the initial disobedience to God in the garden of Eden, people are perennially insecure until they find hope and security in Him.

God has provided a wonderful plan of salvation to restore our security. Though He does not save man indiscriminately—if so, all men would be saved—all those who are seeking security are invited to come. Should we try by our own effort, we will miserably fail. Our hope of salvation must be anchored in the atoning work of Christ at Calvary. God does his part, and we do our part, but it is vitally important to remember that our part has no redemptive value. Our part is to come to an end of ourselves, repent of our sins, in faith look to the Lamb of God for forgiveness, and accept his all-cleansing work of grace and righteousness. We must trust God to save us and keep us saved.

Jesus gave a beautiful promise of security to those who are his children. “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matt. 6:33). Real security is found in a simple, trusting faith in God. It does not mean that we sit idly by and expect God to bring us the things we need; God expects us to be actively engaged in the responsibilities of life. When Jesus said the heavenly Father feeds the birds (Matt. 6:26), He did not mean He places the food into their mouths; birds must go and get it. God provides for us, but we must exercise our will to work and be diligent to obtain his provision.

It is healthy for us, both spiritually and physically, to have goals. To have a purpose gives us enthusiasm and a sense of achievement when things are accomplished. The lively hope that is given to the born-again Christian by Jesus’s resurrection (1 Pet. 1:3) is a light to guide him in uncertainty and a reason to rejoice no matter what life brings. Job expressed a clear vision of hope when nearly all else was gone; he still had hope and trust in God. He knew that even after his earthly body was destroyed, he would see God (Job 19:25-27).

“For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it” (Rom. 8:24-25). Hope gives meaning to all aspects of life through the expectation that God will do what is best for us, especially in his promise of eternal life. Children often look forward with eager anticipation to growing up and experiencing future events. The phrase “I can hardly wait” is sometimes voiced by children and youth. We are created to look forward, and it is good to hope and quietly wait for God’s will.

A secure place is a place free from fear. The spirit of fear is an evil spirit that attacks our hope in God. Fear can attach to any aspect of life. We can fear failure, loss, sickness, and death, as well as many other things. Fear is powerful, and to effectively drive it out, we must have a firm commitment of trust in God.

Children need to feel loved and appreciated. The youthful years can be a challenging time of life, and the need to feel accepted is very real. Husbands and wives need to feel secure in their love for each other. A wife needs to feel that she is the only one for her husband and that he has no desire for anyone else. A husband, in turn, needs to know that his heart can safely trust in his wife. We all appreciate a measure of financial security. When we have a livelihood with an adequate paycheck, we can be thankful to have enough and some to give to others.

We cannot fully imagine what this world would be like without hope. If hope is gone, despair and depression rule. A sense of futility permeates our life, and we have no answers for the questions of why we are here and what life in all about.

We were created to bring honor and glory to God with our lives. We do this as we give God first place and make the things of earth and time subject to his will. As we are firmly rooted in his love, being nurtured and watered by the river of his grace with the soft rays of hope from Heaven shining upon us, we will flourish like the tree planted by the water.

Questions

1. What makes the eternal view seem distant at times? (2 Cor. 4:18).
2. The Bible states that we are like a book seen and read of all men. What kind of hope does our life portray?
3. What are ways to help someone that is in the depths of despair and seemingly without hope?
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Source: COGICM Daily Bible Readings (Daily Bible Readings, PO Box 124, Glenn, CA 95943).