Quiet your heart in his presence and pray, keep hope alive as you long for God to come through for you. Psalm 37:7 (TPT)
In recent weeks, there’s been a shift in our country, communities, and churches. Instead of gathering together, we are at home feeling confined and many are cantankerous too. It’s been a real struggle to keep calm and wash our hands until they’re chapped. But I’ve also noticed, there’s a sense of “we’ll get through this” hanging over our hearts and minds as we wait out the endless days until this unfortunate time passes. For the most part, we have hope that things will get back to normal someday soon.
I can’t help to think we’ve been given a unique opportunity to slow down, take a step back, and reevaluate. In fact, it’s the perfect time for a reset, to catch up, to take back our crazy, chaotic schedules and pause for a moment. What feels like a punishment in many ways, could have a profound effect on our priorities. If we let it, we might just walk away from our current conundrum with a completely renewed capacity for hope.
The psalmist implores us to keep hope alive in the midst of a world gone mad. But, how?
The key is in our longing, “as you long for God to come through for you.” Notice, there’s no mention of if God will come through; we only have to keep hope alive until God brings the breakthrough. Our longing helps to stir up our faith through the unrelenting until it gives way to the move of God on our behalf. The more we want God to show up keeps our hope alive by way of expectation and anticipation.
Keeping Hope Alive in Seasons of Waiting
In middle school, we had the coolest field trip planned for the last week of school. The day had finally arrived; everyone was ready to celebrate moving on from junior high to high school. Except, I was stuck in the school office instead of the awesomely loud bus filled with all my friends. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find my necessary ticket to board the bus and without it, I was doomed to a day of boredom. My ticket to fun was left on the front seat of my mom’s car. As I waited for her return, I did what any 80’s teen would do, pushed play on my Walkman and prayed my friends would save me a seat.
But, not once did I worry about my mom not showing up. I never even considered she wouldn’t come to my rescue. She loved me and while I totally hated waiting, there was no effort given to “keeping hope alive.” I fully expected her to show up. I anticipated the moment she’d arrive. And, of course, I was grateful when at last she did. Permission slip now in hand, I ran as fast as walking in the halls was allowed.
In the same way, we can keep hope alive in our seasons of waiting for God to show up. Because we know God is trustworthy, faithful, and loves to see us smile, we know our breakthrough will arrive. We can watch with expectation and wait with anticipation because at the right moment, just like my mom, God brings our breakthrough. Finally, he says, “Permission granted!”
Nope, I didn’t miss the bus, the field trip, or the fun that day. I did, however, get to sit by the bus driver because my friends forgot to save me a seat. But even that proved to be a win; guess who got off the bus before everybody else?
God is Trustworthy
Learning to keep hope alive is easier when we know and believe God is trustworthy and has our best in mind. He’s never late and loves to surprise us with his “suddenlies”. Suddenly, after much waiting, God shows up and our breakthrough proves His goodness. Let’s be people who wait with wonder, expectancy, and anticipation.
- How can you keep hope alive today in your current circ*mstance?
- Can you help someone else wait with anticipation?
- What evidences of God’s wonder can you see while you wait?
- Share it with a friend, they may need some help keeping hope alive.
This is why I wait upon you; expecting your breakthrough, for your word brings me hope. I long for you more than any watchman would long for the morning light. I will watch and wait for you, O God, throughout the night. O Israel, keep hoping, keep trusting, and keep waiting on the Lord; for he is tenderhearted, kind, and forgiving. He has a thousand ways to set you free! Psalm 130:5-7 (TPT)
Amy Elaine Martinez
Amy Elaine writes a faith-based, Christ-centered blog inspiring people to live victoriously and walk in wholeness. She's an author, speaker, and radio host for Real Victory Radio.
