Turning 40: Notes to My Younger Self. #38 Hope

#38. Hope

Therefore, I will hope in Him.

Hope. In. Him.

Hope.

This is the last idea noted in the Lamentations statement.

²² The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
    his mercies never come to an end;
²³ they are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.
²⁴ “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
    “therefore I will hope in him.”

Lamentations 3:22-24

So, what is hope?

I have spent a lot of time this past year really sitting in the idea of hope. Dwelling in the concept and trying to really understand what it truly is.

Hope is a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.

Hope is having confidence in God.

I suppose, then, my question is hope or confidence in God for what? Hope for peace, for comfort, for resolution of struggles, for forgiveness, for love, for grace?

I think there was a part of me that envisioned hope as a wish. Wishing that life would be perfect and without pain or confusion or disappointment. Maybe I thought if I put my hope in God, then these things would come to pass.

But wishes are often associated with that which is impossible or applied to things that have already happened.

So, what is hope?

Hope is having confidence in the future. Hope is having confidence in the long term. It is changing your perspective from the short term, from the here and now, to the long term, the future. Not just believing, but knowing that God will be there.

Hope is confidence in His steadfast love, His grace, His faithfulness.

Having confidence in Him, having hope in Him, is knowing that there will be peace. Knowing there will be peace in the long term, in the future, helps me to have peace in the short term, in the now.

My dear young self, know that it will all work out in the end.