Hope

Hope has been the topic of contemplation for the past month or so.

As a floater (someone who fills in where ever there is a need) at BGC, I get to attend the church that the cottage I am working in that Sunday is attending when I am working, and I attend Bayou City Fellowship when I am not working.

So far I have been to Bayou City Fellowship, a Presbyterian Church, Farfield Baptist, Community of Faith, and Salem Lutheran--a nice variety. Anyhow, not at all these places, but at several, the topic has been hope. Though it may feel random where I get to gather with believers on Sunday, it is not random to the Lord and He is communicating a message through them all--where do I place my hope?

The easy answer is, "I place my hope in the Lord."

The more complicated part is the answer to this question, "What does that mean/look like?"

As I have listened to a number of messages now on this topic, and even participated in a youth group discussion of this...I am realizing that different believers hope in the Lord looks different. For example, one believer finds hope in Jesus' conquering death. It brings them hope, because if He can conquer death, then He can conquer whatever it is they are facing. Another believer, their hope was based on all the work of the cross. I forget the focus but it was a lot about the cross. These are not "wrong" hopes, but it just made me realize that different people find hope in different aspects of the Lord.

As I am hearing how others find hope in Christ, I find myself thinking, "That isn't what gives me hope?"  I knew which aspect of God it is that gives me hope, however, hearing various discussions on the topic has given me the opportunity to meditate on hope.

In my meditations, one of the things I have tried to do is just define the word itself. As I don't know that I ever came up with an official definition, I decided to consult dictionary.com. This is what they had to say...

hope:  noun 1. the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turnout for the best
                   2. a particular instance of this feeling
                   3. grounds for this feeling in a particular instance
                   4. a person or thing in which expectations are centered
                   5. something that is hoped for
            verb 6. to look forward to with desire and reasonable confidence
                   7. to believe, desire, trust

Definitions 4 and 6 really help me as I will attempt to describe how the Lord gives me hope.

The "a person or thing in which expectations are centered". This  resonates with my soul. My hope is in the person of God (all three aspects of Him). He is the person in which all expectations are centered. When I place hope in Him, I am taking my expectations and allowing Him to be the center of them and what defines them. If I looked to the people, or things, or circumstances of the world to do this...I would be hopeless and wonder, "Why continue?" However, when He is who expectations are centered in, I am able to deal with the present.

When I hope (verb) in Christ, I am looking forward with desire to eternity with reasonable confidence. Knowing that this world is not ALL there is to life--gives me great hope. This is but preparation ground for what is coming. It gives purpose to all that I do. I am preparing for eternity and perfect communion with God. This is my hope. I am one of those weird people, that while I do no have a death wish, I have a longing for eternity. If the Lord took me tomorrow, I would not be sad. The verses that talk about being an alien in this world--that is me. I have not felt completely at home in any of the physical places I have lived. I feel most at "home" when I am in good communion with Him and that just increases my desire and hope for the day when I will see Him face to face.

My hope is in the character of God. My hope in Him is in eternity.