Have You Lost Hope? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
In Romans Chapter 5 verses 1-5 we can see what produces hope. The word says that tribulation works patience, patience, experience and experience produces hope. In v. 5 the word says that this hope is ignited by the power of the Holy Ghost. We can’t let our prior experiences rob our hope. One can look back at a situation in the past where Yahweh didn’t seem to move and let this affect their hope and expectation. You can look back at prayer requests than never were answered and ones that were. It is difficult to figure out why. One has to look at the motive for the prayer request. If one is praying for riches, why? Is it the motive for riches to be able to help others or gain more possessions for oneself? One way to increase hope is by realizing that Elohim is our “Daddy.” Any child looks with expectation that their daddy or mommy will provide for their needs and take care of them. We need to have the same attitude towards our Heavenly Father. In Eph. 2: 12, 13 Paul says that we were strangers, but now we are near to Yahshua, as sons and daughters. We are part of His family. Being part of His family we can expect the fulfillment of His promises in our lives because He is our Daddy.” He is a Father that always takes care of His children.
He has promises in His word that we can claim as He puts them on our hearts. This attitude should increase our expectation and hope. Elohim wants to super-charge our hope in our spirits, just the way He quickened us for salvation (Eph.2:1). It is like having a warranty on a product. The store has to honor the warranty if the product needs repair. One just has to read the details. We have a warranty with Our Father that He will enforce. We just have to read the details in His word and have hope that He will honor His commitment to us.
As I mentioned earlier, we can’t let experiences get in our way to reduce our hope. In Romans 4 verses 18-21 we read how Abraham was 100 years old and he based his hope on experience and if he asked anybody whether a 100 year old man could father a child, they would say “no way.” In verse 18 the word backs this up when it says that against hope he believed in hope that he would be the father of many nations. He didn’t consider his own body or the deadness of Sarah’s womb nor did he stagger at the promise that Elohim made to him (verses 19-20). In verse 21, Paul says that Abraham was fully persuaded that what Elohim had promised He was also able to perform! Are we fully persuaded in our hope?
Let’s look at David in 1 Sam. Chapter 17-David had a hope from Yahweh based on his past experiences with Yahweh. He mentioned to Saul that a lion and a bear came against his sheep and the power of Yahweh came on him and he killed them with his own bare hands (verses 34-36). He also told Saul that the same Elohim that delivered him from the lion and the bear would deliver him out of the hand of the Philistine (verse 37). He maintained his hope even when Saul said that he was just a youth, fighting a warrior (verse 33). His brother put pressure on him to go home (verse 28), but he pushed his way past all this and maintained his hope. He didn’t let the bold words coming from Goliath weaken his hope, but answered him back with bolder words (verses 44-46). His hope was rewarded when the power of Yahweh was behind the stone that David slung at Goliath, killing him (verses 49-50).
Let’s look at Jonathan in 1 Sam. Chapter 14-The Philistines were sharpening all the swords that belonged to the Israelites and they only had two swords left. Jonathan took one of the swords and went towards the enemy and his armourbearer took the other sword and went with him. Jonathan had hope that His Elohim could destroy the enemy; no matter how many men they had (v. 6). Jonathan had so much hope that he said that if the enemy tells them to come up and talk, then they had the victory, because the enemy was over confident(v. 10). The enemy did tell them to come up and the power of Elohim came on them and they killed 20 men in the “first slaughter” (v.14). As a result of Jonathan maintaining his hope and not believing the circumstances, there was a trembling in the army and an earthquake came and contributed to the enemy killing each other. Elohim can increase our hope. He did this with Jonathan when Yahweh told the enemy to tell them to come up and see them. He made the enemy overconfident!
Look at Jehoshaphat in 1 Chronicles Chapter 20- He was surrounded by enemy armies and got afraid, but He turned his eyes upon Elohim(v. 12) and Elohim built up his faith by saying that the battle was His(v. 15). Elohim rewarded his hope and faith by winning the battle for him. All Jehoshaphat had to do was send his praise and worship singers out first into the battle, praising Elohim (verses 19-21). As a result of this, Elohim sent ambushments against the enemy and they killed each other! (verses 22-23). All Jehoshaphat had to do was pick up the spoils of the enemy off their bodies. These spoils were so much that it took three days to do so. Do you see how Elohim rewarded his hope by winning the battle for him and delivering the spoils to him?
Elohim can do the same for you as He did for the people that we mentioned from the bible – let go of past experiences and allow Elohim to “quick start” your hope.