Think Hope

“But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope.”  Lamentations 3:21        

Keep your light burning

How powerful is the mind, that we can only scratch the surface of what it can do?  We can study it but after years of assiduous research, we have still ascertained only a fraction of its capabilities.

One thing Jeremiah tapped into that he knew for sure, was that the mind is an instrument for hope if we can harness and focus it. 

When Lamentations was written, the prophet Jeremiah was in anguish and distress.  It was a time much more desolate than today.  It was a time when no one had any real hope.  It was a time when all the bad decisions were finally catching up to the people of God. 

I’ll admit that I’m often rushing here and there for meetings and appointments.  I try to get an early start, but the earlier I am, the slower I move.  Often, to be on time, I will go a little faster than the speed limit.  Usually, I get to where I’m going with no issues.  This one night, I didn’t even realize I was speeding.  I was in a rental car and it was much newer and smoother than my personal vehicle, so I was cruising around 15 miles over the speed limit when I was pulled over.  I explained to the officer that I was not aware and that I was a block away from home.  He was nice enough to let me go with a warning.

Two days later, I was rushing to meet a client for a showing of a home when I was pulled over again.  This time, I didn’t have my license, because I had taken it out of my wallet to give to the police officer from the other night and had not put it back in its place.  I apologized but this officer didn’t want to hear anything I had to say.  He gave me a speeding ticket and a no Drivers License in possession citation.    You can say, my bad habits finally caught up to me. 

When we’re experiencing difficulties and hardship, we may begin to think, “I deserve this.” “I’ve earned this.”  “God is finally getting me back for all the stuff I’ve messed up.”  “My bad habits are finally catching up to me.”  “I didn’t do the right thing, so this disease or sickness is my punishment.”  

Truth alert: God doesn’t think in terms of punishment for His children anymore.  Jesus took care of it, that’s the end of it.  

God’s plan is so much bigger than this tit for tat mentality.  His love is so steadfast that it isn’t relegated to our good or bad circumstances.  God cares about our character and our heart.  He is preparing us for a much grander existence in a lovely place called Heaven. Don’t you want to go?  Don’t you want to be prepared and ready to enjoy it when you get there?  I sure do.  I want to be appropriately dressed.  I want to be in the right mood to enjoy the other guests.  I want to come with a party favor for the Host with the Most. 

Here is how we prepare for our party.  We have to keep our minds on the goodness and faithfulness of God.  Yes, even when we don’t want to.  Even when our world around us calls us to fear, worry, be anxious, fight and quarrel with one another.  In times like this, and worse than this, we have to activate one of the most powerful tools in our arsenal to keep our focus on the right things.  To call to mind, so we may have hope. 

On the contrary, this is not a time of passivity.  “Calling to mind” is an action phrase that requires you to get off the couch and turn the TV off.  Open the Word of God, and inquire within.  If you’re looking for hope, you’ll find it there.  You’ll find everything you need there.