Living with Hope

"Delight yourself in the LORD

and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the LORD;

trust in him and he will do this:

He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,

the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;

do not fret when men succeed in their ways,

when they carry out their wicked schemes. . .

those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land."

Psalm 37:4-9

I think we can all agree that life is hard.  Tragedies hit out of nowhere.  Illness strikes when I least expect it.  Loved ones are ripped out of this life before I get a chance to say, "good-bye."  Pain and suffering is all around me.  Life is hard.

If it wasn't for the hope of eternity with Jesus, it would be impossible to endure.  Thankfully, I can look forward to the time when, "He will wipe every tear from their eyes.  There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." (Revelation 21:4)  Now that's something to which I can look forward!

It reminds me of the time our family planned a trip to Disney World.  For months we saved funds and made plans.  Our daughters saved spending money from what they earned dog walking and babysitting.  We studied the Disney website and literature designed to familiarize ourselves with the parks and decide which attractions we really wanted to see.  Excitement began to build and the mundane difficulties of our day-to-day lives faded in light of the anticipation of our upcoming trip.  

In the same way, I am able to endure the difficulties of life in light of the anticipation of my upcoming residency in a place with no struggles, no pain and no suffering.   Heaven gives me hope.  But I must continue living here where God has placed me.  I cannot live with my head in the clouds, creating my own reality where I ignore what's going on around me.  I'm here for a purpose.

Thankfully, God has given me some guidance in how to live for Him while I wait for the time when I will live with Him!

Delight

When I think of the meaning of the word "delight,"  I think of my dogs.  They exhibit a high degree of exuberance and joy upon my return from an outing.  It doesn't matter if I've only been gone for an hour, they greet me with great pleasure and enthusiasm.  Their tails wag intensely as their tongues loll out of their mouths and their eyes shine with excitement.  They absolutely delight in my presence!

Apart from sprouting a tail and learning to drool like a dog, how can I delight in the LORD?  One way is to enjoy and revel in the study of His Word.   God teaches that the blessed man is one who finds that, "his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night." (Psalm 1:4)  

I can either read the Bible daily and check that off my things-to-do list, or I can conduct an intense study of His Word, examining references and looking up the meaning of the terms.  I can apply it to my life, meditating on what I learned throughout the day, asking God to show me the lesson found there.  The Bible is more than just a book of advice, it is, "living and active.  Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."  (Hebrews 4:12)

As I delight in Him, He will change my priorities and list of requirements needed to live.  Oswald Chamber wrote in My Utmost for His Highest that my life itself is the, ". . . essential thing. . . wherever you may go, even if it is into hell, you will come out with your life, nothing can harm it.  So many of us are caught up in the show of things, not in the way of property and possessions, but of blessings.  All these have to go; but there is something grander that never can go--the life that is 'hid with Christ in God.'"  

All I really need is God, and as I delight in Him, He will change the desires of my heart to line up with that truth.  

Commit

My husband and I have been married for 23 years.  We made a pledge before God, obligating ourselves to the marriage.  Because of this commitment, we have stayed together despite disagreements, hurt feelings or times when affection was lacking.  This kind of vow takes a confidence in the integrity of the institution of marriage despite what I see, hear or feel.  My sense of obligation keeps me rooted to the relationship.  

In the same way, I have a relationship with God through faith in Jesus, but entrusting my plans to God takes faith.  Faith involves taking a step into the darkness without knowing whether or not there will be something solid to hold my weight.  Faith, however, know the One in whom I place my trust is faithful to guide and provide.  As Oswald Chambers said, "Faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows the One who is leading."

Committing my way to the LORD means entrusting every part of my life to Him, letting Him have  His way.  But perhaps 19th Century Evangelist Dwight L. Moody said it best.  "The sweetest lesson I have learned in God's school is to let the Lord choose for me."  Trusting God doesn't mean I can make my plans and then ask Him to bless them, but rather to hand the reigns over to Him.

If I can make the same commitment to God as I did to my husband, unconditionally trusting Him, He has promised to make me able to stand in the sun without guilt or shame.  The blood of Jesus covers my sin when I commit my life to Him and accept Him as my personal Savior.  In so doing, I become innocent in God's eyes, relieving me of the burden of past, present and future sins.  


Making Jesus Lord of my life means letting Him have His way.  In turn, He gives me a spotless and innocent appearance before Him. 

Wait

Deals made behind closed doors.  Payment for service "under the table."  Conflicts of interest. Improper handling of tax payer funds.  Pilfering of finances to feed a gambling addiction.  Wherever I look, wicked schemes are taking place: Plots designed to benefit the planner, conspiracies thought up to further a dark plot, or a ploy intended for evil.  There's no doubt that immorality flourishes in this fallen world.

Even so, no sin goes unpunished.  Either Jesus has already paid the price for the sins of His followers, or the unrepentant sinner will face the consequences of eternal death.  Justice will be served.

In the meantime, I am called to quietly and untiringly wait for God to act.  He reminds me in Deuteronomy 32:35 that, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay.  In due time their foot will slip; their day of disaster is near and their doom rushes upon them."   I can trust God to punish evil, both now and in eternity.

Until then, the Apostle Paul gave some advice in Romans 12:17-20.  "Do not repay anyone evil for evil.  If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.  Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath. . . On the contrary, 'If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.  In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.'"

While I wait on God to enact justice on those who do me wrong, it is up to me to treat them with the same respect I would show to a friend.

This world is a difficult place in which to live, but as I wait to enter my eternal home, I have been given a plan.  I can take great delight in God,  make a commitment to Him and wait patiently for Him to act.  In this way I will glorify God with my life as I receive a new outlook, a clean countenance and the assurance of true justice for the wickedness going on around me.  

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can let go of all my expectations for my life and let God choose the way He wants me to go.

When do I try to take matters into my own hands, robbing God of the chance to enact His justice.

How can I love and treasure God above all other things?