Beyond Hopeful
Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
My salvation & my honor depend on God; He is my mighty rock, my refuge.
I will trust in Him at all times; I will pour out my heart to Him, for God is my refuge! Psalm 63:5-8 (NIV)
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 (NIV)
Insight
My little girl, who loved twirling down the driveway in her favorite flouncy skirt, is now 27 years old and engaged! I can't tell you how exciting this time is for me. Yes, for me! Of course, for her as well, but as her momma who prayed long before her first breath and ever since for the man she would marry, I am over-the-moon excited for her and her fiancé.
I am beyond hopeful for the many things they will face together because they have already shown how they make each other better. I have seen them work together and join our family in navigating difficult circumstances that stretched us all to the core but displayed a family dynamic of oneness and absolute resolve to make it through together.
I am delighting in hope these days. Hope for today, tomorrow, and for all that is to come. I'm learning that God's heart is to fill me with ALL joy and peace as I trust in Him so that I may overflow with hope by the power of His Holy Spirit! I am trusting that my God of hope is at work within everyone who is part of this special day.
The wedding is more than a year away, but the planning requires much to be decided now. We've caught ourselves saying, "We hope ____" for finances, venues, good weather, for ……. The list can go on. So I'm seeing a new aspect of hope. It not only requires trust but trust that engages my resolve to participate. I'm not just hoping that all the wedding plans will come together. I'm asking my daughter how I may help in the planning. I'm respectfully offering suggestions or ideas to consider. I'm purposefully cutting back on my spending on certain things to help in some small way to add to the budget we've given her.
But participation is more than an action or doing something. Participation in cultivating trust must be rooted in a posture of our heart. I resolve to participate first as an expression of something God is forming in my heart for Him and others and secondly as a tangible demonstration of that formation.
With all our hopeful planning, rest is essential. Because of what God is forming within me, I choose to find rest in Him - not to be shaken when things are complex and uncertain. I have prayed Psalm 63 many times, asking God to help me not to be shaken! All of this matters because I get to model for my daughter what hopeful expectation looks like and how to live delighting in hope. With all the uncertainties of tomorrow, we can trust God is with us; He is our hope. We can rest in our strong and loving Heavenly Father.
Reflection
• What are you hopeful for today? What is the source of your hope?
• Is there something looming ahead of you that demands decisions today? How will you resolve to rest in Him and participate in the cultivation of your trust in God?
Prayer
Abba Father, thank you for being my God of HOPE! Thank you for the gift of delight. Help me to delight in awe and wonder of You, to rest in You whatever I face. In Jesus name, amen.
Polly Clawson, Equipping Coordinator, wrote today's devotional.