I wrote part of this blog post on the train to school! After Hurricane Ida, classes were canceled on Thursday, but we are back in action. It’s the New York State of Mind, we keep pushing and going through disasters. I’ve been thinking about two things a lot lately: peace and hope.
Peace is not something I’m used to: I’m used to the chaos, anxiety, and burdens of this world weighing on my shoulders. It’s what I knew when I was a kid, helpless to my circumstances and unable to know or do any better. I told myself when I grew up, things would be different. I would live a life centered on finding rest from this chaos.
It’s funny how looking for control leads to less control. You can’t control so much. You can’t even control waking up tomorrow, yet most of us live like it’s promised! I will never have full assurance of anything: finishing school, passing my exams, becoming a doctor, getting married, having a family, my safety, my family’s health, and all those things are not things I can control. Who wouldn’t be a nervous mess? Who wouldn’t be riddled with anxiety and depression?
Peace can’t come from us or this world, it’s too subjective to change. So, peace must be rooted in something or someone stable, constant, and everlasting. God - for me peace comes from God - because God is always in full control of the situation and our lives are in His hands. God doesn’t leave. God is forever. God is the reason I can make it through each day with hope and peace.
Hope is a great thing. Cars run on fuel. We run on hope. Hope is not a wishy washy dream of what we want. Hope in God is confidence in who God is because we know Him and because of that we trust what He says to come true.
God is fighting for our good.
How do I know that? Jesus.
God loves us.
How do I know that? Jesus.
God keeps His promises.
How do I know that? Jesus.
Even if you believe in Jesus, you need to tell yourself the gospel. You need the gospel. You need to know that in all your shame, ugly sin, and brokenness - God saw you, loved you, and redeemed you by giving His precious son to die in your place. We now take His place, standing as sons and daughters of the King of Kings. We can live so boldly knowing the fullness of God’s promises to us.
We live off hope.
Last night, I went to our weekly Friday prayer and praise night. At first, I wasn’t that interested in the 15 minute walk included in the commute. Thursday had been a hard day. Friday night we usually go to relax or have fun. In my heart, I felt like relaxing after a week like this looked like spending time in God’s presence.
It was an amazing time of praise, message, and prayer where I learned that the gift of God comes when we find ourselves anxious or preoccupied with things that take life from us, that Jesus comes to meet us with the only solution: His presence. Being with Jesus brings us to do good work, yet doing good work doesn’t bring us to Jesus.
We are human beings not human doings. When God created the perfect world, the Garden of Eden was a place where we could be with Him. He didn’t need us to do work, He just wanted us to dwell and share in His presence. That is that hope that we have that God will have His way and through His will we are assured of that.
If what you are hoping rests in people, in dreams, in situations working out in your favor, or in achieving your goals: you will always come to an end of emptiness. Even if you get what you want, your longing will never be satisfied because hope belongs to eternity and eternity belongs to God. A lot of my hope is based on circumstances or people, and I feel the drop in my heart when disappointment inevitably comes my way. I don't make the grade. I hurt the person I love. I get rejected from my dream. I lose my way. I get what I want and it's nothing like I wanted it to be. I live out my dream only to see how unfulfilling reaching that goal is. Hope in God will never leave you wanting, it will leave you with overflow in abundance, and you will pour out onto others that same joy. That is the greatness of hope.
Ending Prayer:
Dear God,
We praise Your mighty name. Your name gives life to the dead. Your name brings healing to brokenness. Your name washes sin and covers it with grace. Your name is the name above all names. God, we place our hope into You. Who else can we hope for? Kingdoms come and go. People fall away. Places and positions change. Nothing we have is for certain, but You - our God - are our only hope. Grant us Your peace that surpasses all understanding. Holy Spirit fill us and dwell within our hearts, minds, and souls. God, be with us as we walk through hills and valleys. May our hope not be founded on outcomes, situations, or anything but You!
Thank You God for Your hear our prayers!
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen
Song: Reason I Sing by Phil Wickham
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