Hope in the Waiting

 

Our last post on the series Waiting in the Lord will be focused on hope.  Hope can be a lost commodity in the waiting period of our lives, especially if the wait is particularly lengthy.  Yet, hope is exactly what our Lord gives each of us during this time period.  This verse captures his hope perfectly.

I remember the day over 25 years ago when I thought I had lost hope.  I was coming off the battle of fighting cancer only to enter a battle in my marriage.  The days were difficult and although the prayers were long and filled with tears, the hope that things were going to get better seemed bleak.  I could not believe the dear Lord was asking me to manage this on top of all I dealt with on the cancer journey.  Yet, He asked me to have hope in Him.

That fateful day, the tears would not stop flowing and my heart would not stop breaking.  I only knew one place I could go where my hope could be restored.  I went to church.  It was Saturday and it was quiet.  I sat at the foot of that cross and looked up to see that the cross is where Jesus provided all the hope I could ever want.  It was on that cross that He gave me, and each of us, the hope of forgiven sins and eternal life. 

The waiting was long and the anticipation of answered prayers seemed to last forever.  But on that day, at that cross, my hope was restored.  My hope did not return to where it was before this journey – it expanded into greater hope than I could ever imagine.  Whatever Jesus had in store for my life, He would provide me exactly what I needed.  My hope rested in His goodness.

I realized that God was working in me during this waiting period.  He was strengthening me for what the future would bring.  He was ensuring my focus would be on Him when challenges came upon me.  He knew I needed to be built up and during this season of waiting that is what occurred.  The future of navigating divorce was one of the most difficult periods of my life.  Yet, what God gave me during the waiting, the growth, peace, trust, and HOPE got me through it.  Without His hope of a better tomorrow, I would have been lost.

If you are in a waiting period now, Jesus is with you.  He is holding you up in His glory and is giving you the hope you need to move forward each day.  Let Him be the rest that you need and fully believe that the path He has for you will give you hope for a better tomorrow.  As we close this series on waiting, I want to share a verse that I believe sums up the waiting we have in Jesus.  Psalm 25:3 says, “Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame.”  Have simple faith that the waiting will provide joy!

Video that complements this post:  Hope in the Waiting

Dearest Jesus, only You can provide the hope we need to rest in the waiting period of our lives.  Come to us often and remind us of that hope and give us strength to continue each day in your hope.  Amen!