The value of hope

Tuesday April 13, 2021

The value of hope

"You will regain confidence, because there will be hope." Job 11. 18

There is a mental attitude that is essential to us if we are to live the life that God desires for us. It alone makes the difference between those who persevere and those who throw in the towel in the face of difficulties: it is the will never to lose hope. This strength will allow us to overcome everything and always seek a solution. Hope is what sustains the composer who suffers in front of his white score or the artist in front of his unfinished canvas, both certain that great beauty will emerge from all this suffering. Aged Henri Matisse suffered cruelly from arthritis. When asked why he persisted in gripping his brush with his deformed fingers, he replied : "The pain will go away, but the beauty will remain." This is hope ! As he worked tirelessly on decorating the Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo often thought about giving up, but hope each morning made him climb onto his scaffolding to complete his incomparable vision. Hope also made Abraham abandon his country, not knowing where God was going to take him. Moses spent 80 years in a desert, never despairing, “for he looked beyond, towards the reward” (Hebrews 11:26). The Bible defines faith as "the reality of what is hoped for" (Hebrews 11.1). Hope prompted Paul to challenge the Roman political system. It was the energy that drove the Old Testament prophets to speak out against the authorities of their day. David wrote : “For You are my hope... in You I have trusted from my youth” (Psalm 71. 5). Never give up your hope. You can endure a lot of grief and the loss of loved ones in your lifetime, but losing hope will paralyze your mind. Whatever the circumstances, keep your hope alive by keeping your eyes on God.

Source (His Word for Today)