Listen:
Hebrews 11:1-3
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.
By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
Consider:
I recently watched my 12 year old son get very excited about the possibility of snow…not once, not twice, but three times in one week. He is old enough to know that snow in NC is a bit of a rarity, and when we get excited about a 30% chance we will more than likely feel the sting of disappointment. But that didn’t deter him from holding onto that eternal hope, that sense of joyful excitement in the “but maybe this time it will.”
We can learn a lot about hope in things unseen if we look to our children. Their perseverance and stubborn hopefulness in that which can’t be seen and validated is inspiring…the hope for snow in the south, the joyful anticipation of an upcoming birthday and the excitement it holds, the tireless hope for that new movie to finally be available on TV…in most children, hope springs eternal!
I understand that these things seem easy to hope for, and that the big stuff of life is much more difficult to muster a sense of assurance around. But remember, hope in anything, little or big, requires the same thing: faith. Faith is the thing that allows hope to exist. Faith is the thing that reminds us that God is indeed working in the world, and faith steadys our vision to see the bits and pieces of assurance of God’s work. Maybe your faith in God’s good work allowed you to see the outstretched arm of a friend offering love and help. Maybe your faith spurred you to make contact with someone who had weighed heavily on your mind recently. Faith is the string that connects us all to hope, and with that, God’s work in the world becomes more and more visible, because we are looking for it!
Respond:
Making a daily, intentional practice of speaking faith and hope into being is not proof of a weakness of faith, it is a sign of a faith that perseveres!
So, practice the following breath prayer at least 3-4 times in the coming day.
Inhale: God, so many things seem uncertain or unseen.
Exhale: But I have faith that you are at work in everything.
Pray:
Lord, strengthen my hope in You. When I cannot see what You are doing, help me trust that You are at work. Give me perseverance to keep moving forward, knowing I am never alone. Amen.
