Day 17 | August 22, 2023

Koen Hofstee

Psalm 130:5-7
⁵ I am counting on the Lord; yes, I am counting on Him. I have put my hope in His word. ⁶ I long for the Lord more than sentries long for the dawn. ⁷ O Israel, hope in the Lord; for with the Lord there is unfailing love. His redemption overflows.

Do you ever feel hopeless? Merriam-Webster defines hope as “to desire with anticipation: to want something to happen or be true,” such as hoping that gas prices will go down or your team will win the Super Bowl. Christian hope, though, is made of something different. It is the assurance of what is to come. It is knowing and believing the promises that God made from the very beginning of time in Genesis. Just as in verse 6, as the watchmen wait for the morning, we wait on the Lord, knowing with absolute certainty that he will deliver. Just as the watchmen have no doubt that the sun will rise and morning will come, they will be safe from harm and the light will return. Therefore, hope also builds exceptional patience. We wait for God’s help, comfort, peace, and salvation. We wait for Jesus’ coming down with more anticipation than the watchmen waits for morning. 

But where does our hope come from? How do we get it? It comes from the Lord. He is the God of hope. We can receive it from Him, but He asks us to give that hope back to Him. And that cycle of hope gets stronger and bigger every time you give it back to Him. We can hope in His word. So, a practical step to help us build our hope is to know His word. The more we know God’s word, the more hope we will have in His promises and know what those promises are.

In verse 7 we are commanded to hope. It’s imperative. We should do this. In return, we receive His steadfast love. His love is a love that lasts forever and that you can’t find anywhere else. It is a promise that forever with hope the LORD gives unfailing love. That is a good deal! 

Prayer:  Dear Lord, thank you that You are always faithful and fulfill Your promises. Help us to wait patiently as we hope in what is to come in our lives and in Your kingdom, more than the watchmen wait for the morning. Fill us with Your hope when we are feeling hopeless, so that we may offer it back to You. Thank you that, as we hope in Your word, You love us with Your steadfast, unfailing love and faithfulness. No one loves us like You do, Lord. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.