But as for me, I will always have hope…Psalm 71:14
What a great line, "I will always have hope." The Psalms are filled with phrases of pain, struggle, heartbreak, burden, calamity, distress, trouble, etc… yet hope is the common denominator in each one. The psalmists write them from places of darkness (or after emerging from darkness) and always write of hope, hope found only in God.
But how can the psalmist of 71 truly write the line, "I will always have hope" when facing the dark trials of life? How does one always have hope especially when hope is hidden by the darkness of struggle in our eyes?
I am not talking about just knowing that hope exists. I am not talking about believing that God is a God of hope. I am talking about actually possessing hope; holding onto it when the shadows of trial begin to blind us, begin to loosen our grip.
When facing death how do you hold onto hope for a future? When facing illness how do you hold onto hope for what tomorrow might bring? When facing joblessness how do you hold onto hope and not worry that you won't loose everything? When watching a family member waste away from addiction how do you have hope that their life will ever change? When watching your child live separated from the Lord how do you have hope for their eternity? The list just goes on and on and on. Dark shadow after dark shadow of trial, pain, and heartbreak.
Yet we can always have hope, not just knowledge but actual possession of hope. How? It tells us in the verses following the proclamation: "I WILL ALWAYS HAVE HOPE"
"I will praise you more and more. My mouth will tell of your righteousness, of your salvation all day long, though I know not its measure. I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, O Sovereign LORD; I will proclaim your righteousness, yours alone." Psalm 71:14-16
The key is giving God the dark struggles that can choke the hope right out of our hearts so that we can then be filled with praise and give that back to him as well. We can then proclaim that which fills us – hope in place of worry and doubt. We need think of and then to speak of God's righteous salvation. We need to remember and proclaim what He has done in our lives and the lives of others, and to remember and declare to all around us the righteousness that is found in God and God alone. None compare to him, no blessing, no struggle, nothing compares to the great righteousness that is God.
So what does this look like for us today? How do we get started on the path to possessing hope always? I think a great way to start is with holding onto the wisdom in the passage from Philippians 4.
"Rejoice in the Lord always (if you want hope always you need to rejoice always – makes sense). I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious (worry) about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things (this does not say dwell on the trial or struggle but on the goodness that is God and give it in praise). Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4: 4-9
I encourage you to mediate on these words. Write them down. Keep them with you as a reminder and when things get tough don't let the worry and pain overshadow the Hope that we HAVE (that is always there for us) in God our savior. Think about - remember the things that are worth remembering.
I HOPE that in the midst of your storms in life that you will remember and think on all that is good and lovely and praiseworthy about your God.
I hope that you too will be able to proclaim: "I Will always have hope!"
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