Hope that Ages Well

Psalms 71:5-8

Verse 5  For You have been my hope, Sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth.

    Even children know the feeling of hope.  The excitement mixed with anxious butterflies.  The desire, peppered with a little fear of the unknown.  As we mentioned yesterday, hope isn’t all about the high points in life and no matter our age, we have plenty of opportunities to experience hope.  This hope in the Lord should be less shaky than most since it is rooted in Him.

    Though we don’t know who penned this psalm, we know they had learned that true hope was found the Lord alone.  While many hope for things they think will satisfy, those who hope for the Lord will find confidence in Him and His ways.

    When we look to things and other people to bring us satisfaction, we are telling God that He isn’t enough.  That is a sobering thought, isn’t it?  If our hope is based on the things of this world and our own abilities, we will be disappointed every time.  That is because anything other than God is built on a shifting foundation, only a life built on Christ can remain on solid ground.

    Having confidence in the Lord is about standing firm on His Word and promises.  Knowing what He says and obeying what we know we must do, reveals the level to which we are confident in Him and His ways.  Too often we strive to be confident in our own abilities, and miss what it means to hope in Him by trusting Him.  We lose sight of His being the only solid, reliable source of stability.

    The psalmist knew and embraced the fact that this wasn’t a once-for-all choice to place his hope in the Lord.  He had put his confidence in the Lord since His youth.  We must know what it means to carry this hope with us through life.  We can’t stop placing our hope in Him.  It must be a daily choice, throughout all our days.

Making It Personal

    Is hope something you carry with you all the time or something you pick up once and a while when you feel the need?  What are you hoping in Him about today?  How has the focus of your hope changed through the years?

Making It Personal Kids

    How does hope help you?  Do you understand why Jesus should be the one you are hoping in?  Do you find joy in putting your hope in God?

Closing Prayer

    Father, thank You for this hope that can grow with us through the years.  May we always root ourselves firmly in You.  In Jesus’ name, amen.