Psalm 16:9. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest (dwell securely) in hope.
Well a good Sunday morning to all you Friends and Neighbours within the scope of my writing – and that means the whole wide world, now that we have the Internet. Wow! What an opportunity to spread God’s Word my brethren!
As you’ve no doubt noticed, (smile) it’s the Lord’s Day once again, so let’s remember to keep it holy with worship, praise fellowship and thanksgiving. A visit to His sanctuary is also a must if you are able to, even in my state this morning, where I’m dragging myself around. (smile)
If you ask Him sincerely for the wherewithal to get up and get out to worship, He will give it to you. So there are no excuses if you are of fairly sound body and mind.
And today we will revisit a subject that all of us believers, in fact the entire world needs to embrace. That subject is HOPE, which we remember Gramps Schuller (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) defining as ‘HOLDING ON PRAYING EXPECTANTLY.’
And to add to that, we’re going to pray his ‘Prayer for Hope,’ found in his Hour of Power Devotional. Please pray with me. ‘I have a strong, serene feeling that God is planning something good for me today. I cannot explain it, but I have a deep feeling that wonderful things are in store for me.
I am expecting God to surprise me with His tender mercy. He will turn my hurts into halos. He is guiding my life in such a way that whatever happens to me will prove to be a beautiful blessing. Thank you, Lord. Amen.’
Yes Friends, we have to feel that way, have that optimism that whatever we ask God for in faith, we will receive it. But you know that if we don’t first have hope, we can’t have faith, we can’t believe.
That’s because hope is what gives us that mindset which enables us to believe, where we hang on with great expectations. It is the basic foundation of faith and belief!
And that’s why the author of Hebrews, who I strongly believe was Bruh Paul, declares: ‘Now faith is the substance (realization) of things hoped for, the evidence (conviction) of things not seen.’ (Heb.11:1)
Faith is definitely based on hope. And all I intend to do today is bombard us with scriptures on hope. Most, if not all of them, we ought to know already, but every so often we need a refresher course.
And we’ll begin with our Bit, as Bruh David boldly declares: ‘I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest (dwell securely) in hope. For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell (the abode of the dead): neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.’ (Ps.16:8-10)
And the Lord indeed did not suffer His ‘Holy One’ – Jesus Christ – to see corruption or languish in hell!
Ah mih people, Bruh David truly had lots of hope and faith in the God of his fathers! Listen to some of his passionate pronouncements.
From Psalm 22 – A cry of anguish and song of praise, he declares: ‘But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope (caused me to trust) when I was upon my mother’s breast. I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother’s belly.’ (Ps.22:9-10)
That’s gospel truth Friends! From the very moment of our conception we belonged to Jehovah God, because He is the one who formed us in our mother’s womb and gave us life.
Now hear these words of wisdom, truth and encouragement from Psalm 31 – ‘In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust. ‘Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.’ (Ps.31:24)
Words to live by my fellow believers! And that’s the beauty and relevance of Bruh David; he didn’t only mouth those words and sentiments, he lived by them to the best of his ability!
And this last scripture from Bruh David, from Psalm 39 – A prayer for understanding, is oh so true and so inspirational. ‘And now, Lord, what wait I for? My hope is in thee.’ (Ps.31:7) Short, sweet and to the point my people!
Ah mih breddren, there are so many scriptures on hope in the Good Book, that finding them, made the Bit even later than it was already going to be. (smile) Now listen up, as Jeremiah tells us flatly: ‘Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.’ (Jer.17:7) No ifs, ands, or buts, about that my people!
And in Romans 4, Bruh Paul, while talking about Abraham declares: ‘Who against (contrary to) hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.’ (Rom.4:18)
The reality of the situation seemed impossible in the physical realm, re Abraham and Sara’s age, but Abraham developed that strong spirit of hope in the spiritual realm, which led to faith in Almighty God.
And again in Romans 8, Bruh Paul proclaims: ‘For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience (perseverance) (eagerly) wait for it’ (Rom.8:24-25)
That’s just the reality of life Friends. You don’t have to hope for something that you can see, but when you can’t see it then you persevere in the Word of God and wait with eager expectation for it.
And we’ll close with these words from Bruh Paul to the Thessalonians. ‘Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God even our Father, which hath LOVED us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.’ (2 Thess.2:16-17)
And all God’s people declared a loud and grateful ‘Praise the Lord! Amen!’
Yes Friends, it all starts with hope, that tingling feeling that stirs our souls. So let’s go out and manifest that hope which we received from Jesus Christ, in our own words and deeds today nuh, for it’s our bounden duty, as well as the ultimate in wisdom! Much LOVE!
… to hope…to hope…and yet to hope in Jesus Christ…is the Christian’s duty…also his stronghold…his place of refuge…
SCRIP-BITS 