“Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8
The most devastating thing a person can experience, is to lose hope. Without hope, a person’s reason to go on living is diminished. When one loses hope, no matter what else they have, it will not fill the void of hopelessness.
Thus, it is imperative that one has a well placed hope, hoping in that which will not let them down or vanish away.
It is a grave mistake to assume that self confidence is the same as real hope. Even foresight, based on evidential supporting circumstances, may prove to be insufficient grounds for hope: “here today, gone tomorrow.”
If we settle for that which we deem to be hopeful by our self determination, we may just be setting ourselves up unto becoming ashamed of our hope.
What determines how good our hope actually is, is how good is that in which we are hoping. To have good hope in that which is no good, is the epitome of hopelessness.
The Bible gives examples of those who have started out with their hope all being in God. They sought no other refuge, and their hope in God proved to be a blessing. But as time progressed and their blessings accumulated, they shifted from hoping in God, unto having their hope in what they had been blessed with.
The difference? Placing one’s hope in God assures victory over failure. But blessings fade away, or can be taken from us, crushing the hope that has been based on them.
We must never allow the good God has given us to become bad for us. Unless our conviction of sin and faith in God affords us to “afflict ourselves” through self denial, humility, soul searching, and full surrender, the good things we have will wean us away from dependence upon God for our hope, unto the false hope of self dependence.
SHARING
