Hope is rising . . .

Today my best-laid plans were foiled once again. I know that God is teaching me to let Him plan my day, but I’m not there yet. Finally, after several distractions, I was able to sit down with Him and realize all over again that He also likes to surprise me. He offered me a wonderful reading from the Old Testament prophet, Jeremiah.

Too many Christians don’t bother with the Old Testament. They rightly say that we are no longer under that covenant, but they miss something; the Old Testament tells us about God and through knowing what He is like, we are blessed and our lives are changed.

For instance, Romans 15:4 says, “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.”

I already know the comfort I get from reading the Old Testament, particularly the Psalms, but this verse says that I will be given hope through the “patience” of the Scriptures (in this case, Old Testament). What an odd way to describe the Bible. After checking, I find that this word “patience” is about endurance. In other words, the Bible perseveres. What God says “abides forever” (1 Peter 1:23, 1 John 2:17, etc.) and remembering that is a source of hope! Also, if I didn’t bother with the Old Testament, that would be tantamount to blocking my ears to a great deal of what God has to say. How foolish.

What He says this morning surprised me because I’m always concerned and praying for many people that have made professions of faith, but have seemed to abandon God. Either they were insincere in the first place, or they have starved their spiritual lives by neglecting spiritual activity and feeding themselves all the wrong stuff. I’m burdened by their empty lives and by their failure to follow through and be the people God intended. They could be glorifying Him and blessing others, but they are not.

Sometimes as I pray I would never say out loud that I don’t think God can do it, but after years of praying for some of these people, the enemy (whose first lie was that God doesn’t really mean what He says) gets at me with doubt. Will God bother with these people? Can He do anything? Or are they just too stubborn? When I think that way, I need some of that hope promised in Romans 15:4 and today, God renewed my hope from Jeremiah 32:37-42 . . .

‘Behold, I will gather them out of all countries where I have driven them in My anger, in My fury, and in great wrath; I will bring them back to this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely. They shall be My people, and I will be their God; then I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me forever, for the good of them and their children after them. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from doing them good; but I will put My fear in their hearts so that they will not depart from Me. Yes, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will assuredly plant them in this land, with all My heart and with all My soul.’ For thus says the Lord: ‘Just as I have brought all this great calamity on this people, so I will bring on them all the good that I have promised them.’

God is talking about His role in the captivity of Israel by the Babylonians, and His plan for their future. While this is not about me or those on my prayer list, it shows me that God can do it. God can put people in bondage if it suits His purposes for them, and He can bring them out of bondage whenever it is best to do so.

He can also give them singleness of heart and purpose. He can fill them with awe and respect for Him. He can change them so much that they will never depart from Him again. He does this for their good and for the good of their children.

For me, the best part is in near the end of this passage: God rejoices in doing good for His people! He will take care of those I pray for, not because I am pleading with Him to change their lives, and not reluctantly, but with all His heart and soul!

At church we sing a chorus with the line, “Hope is rising . . .” and as those words fill my heart, I’m sure that whoever wrote this course also knew where that hope comes from!