HOPE FLOATS
1998 movie. The premise is a woman who thought everything was going well learns that her husband is having an affair with her friend. She takes her daughter and moves back to her hometown. But she quickly learns that the problems keep coming-in waves. In a conversation between her and her daughter, she tells her, "Try to remember that when you find yourself at a new beginning, just give hope a chance to float up."
There are different types of hope-there's a wishful hope, "I hope it doesn't rain today". There's an expectant hope, "I'm hoping for a good outcome". Then there's the secure hope, "My hope is in God". There is a hope that sinks, a hope that floats and a hope that not only floats, it rises.
1) Hope sinks.
Interestingly, the first occurrence of the word hope isn't found until the eighth book of the bible, Ruth. And even then, it's used in a hope sinks fashion. Naomi had lost her husband and two sons. She was trying to convince her daughters-in-law to leave her, basically saying there was no hope of her finding another husband and having two sons for them to eventually marry.
Sometimes we have hope but then something happens and we are let down. We get our hopes up but then it doesn't come to pass and we get that sinking feeling. When our hope sinks we can come away feeling like hope stinks. Job felt this way. He practically lost everything-his children, his assets, his health. Before this happened he was respected but now people shunned him. His so-called friends weren't any help. And to top it off, he felt that God had abandoned him when he needed him most.
Job 30:20-31, “I cry out to you, O God, but you do not answer; I stand up, but you merely look at me. You turn on me ruthlessly; with the might of your hand you attack me. You snatch me up and drive me before the wind; you toss me about in the storm. I know you will bring me down to death, to the place appointed for all the living.
Surely no one lays a hand on a broken man when he cries for help in his distress. Have I not wept for those in trouble? Has not my soul grieved for the poor? Yet when I hoped for good, evil came; when I looked for light, then came darkness. The churning inside me never stops; days of suffering confront me.
I go about blackened, but not by the sun; I stand up in the assembly and cry for help. I have become a brother of jackals, a companion of owls. My skin grows black and peels; my body burns with fever. My harp is tuned to mourning, and my flute to the sound of wailing."
Job was a righteous man, yet God still allowed this to happen to him and Job didn't understand why. He was crying out but getting no answer. He was reaching out but he wasn't getting any help. Have you ever felt this way? Have you ever reacted like Job does here? It's completely understandable why you would.
But we learn from chapters one and two that Job didn't curse God or even blame God, he just didn't understand why God was allowing it and why he hadn't come to his aid, rescue or defense. We do the right thing, serve God and help people and then calamity strikes. We don't get it. We're discouraged and frustrated. We didn't do anything to deserve it but it happened anyway. We may feel the situation is hopeless. I'm sure that's how Job felt. But that wasn't the end of the story for Job. More on that later.
Another way hope sinks is when we put our hope in something other than God. Salvation is through Christ alone but many people don't believe that. Therefore, their hope is in something else-another religion or religious figure; it could be their own thinking-mainly that they're a good person and that's the only thing necessary for God to grant them entrance into heaven.
However, the reality is that those who have hope in anything other than God will eventually be disappointed. Eph. 2:12 says that when we were separate from Christ we were without hope. Before we were born again we were in our sin and therefore without the hope of eternal life. This is true hopelessness.
Prov. 11:7, "When a wicked man dies, his hope perishes; all he expected from his power comes to nothing." A key word here is expected. I can expect something to happen and be sorely disappointed. But when it comes to having expectations regarding eternity, it will truly be a rude awakening if my expectations are in anything other than Jesus.
When I rely on my own power, intellect or accomplishments, I'm going to be in trouble when I think these things matter when it comes to eternity. Prov. 10:28, "The prospect of the righteous is joy, but the hopes of the wicked come to nothing."
What's interesting in these two verses is the words prospect, hopes and hope, all have to do with expecting or having an expectation. So the issue is-what am I basing my expectations on? When my expectations are on God, I will experience joy. But, when they are on anything else, I will be found empty; it will come to nothing and I will spiritually perish because of it.
2) Hope floats.
Sometimes when we are in despair we still have hope. This helps to keep us afloat in troubled waters.
Lam. 3:19-24, "I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD'S great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”
Hope is a major component of our faith. Hebrews 11:1 says that faith is being sure of what we hope for. That would be called a secure hope. It's this type of hope that centers our focus on God when the wind and waves are sweeping and crashing over us.
The Prophet Jeremiah wrote Lamentations. The book has this title because of the word lament, which means to mourn or grieve. During this period in time, the Israelites were in captivity to the Babylonians, who destroyed Jerusalem in 586 B.C. Being in exile could easily cause the people to feel hopeless.
But what kept Jeremiah going was knowing that God's love is great and he is filled with compassion. And just because the current situation was a troubling one-God's mercies were reliable and new each morning. And Jeremiah knew that God was faithful to keep his word and promises. Therefore, he knew he could wait in confidence and rely on the Lord's timing.
The Israelites were in this situation because they had forsaken God. God had warned them that there would be consequences if they persisted. God was true to his word. But, God is also true to his word when his people repent and turn back to him. Jeremiah didn't give up hope that the time would come when God would restore his people. And that happened as God said it would.
The things that kept Jeremiah's hopes alive are exactly what we need to keep our hope afloat as well. God has proven himself over and over; we can trust in him.
Psalm 62:5-8, "Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge."
Last week I talked about having Jesus as our solid foundation. This Psalm speaks of God being our rock, our fortress, our refuge. When our hope is in God we don't have to be shaken or afraid. Instead, we can find rest in turbulent waters.
When Jesus and his disciples were sailing in the Sea of Galilee, a sudden, violent storm came upon them. The disciples were panicking but Jesus was asleep. They went to get him and couldn't believe that he could sleep at a time like this. Jesus got up and quieted the storm. Then he said to them, "why are you so afraid? Where is your faith?"
This doesn't mean we won't be effected by the storms of life or even have our moments of doubt but if our hope is in the solid rock of Christ, we won't panic or run around in a worried frenzy. Instead, we will be calm and Jesus will bring peace to our souls.
Sometimes we start out in a hope sinks mode, but then something happens to pull us out and bring us to the top. After Jesus resurrected he appeared to the two on the road to Emmaus but they didn't recognize him. As they talked with this "stranger" they conveyed that they felt their hopes had been dashed.
Luke 24:20-21, "The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place."
The Greek word for hoped here means they were confidently looking forward to what is good and beneficial. These two believed that Jesus would be raised and when in their minds it didn't happen, they were crushed, feeling all hope was lost. "It's the third day, the day he was supposed to come back but where is he? I guess it didn't happen. All hope is lost." But, little did they know their hopes were not dashed. They invited this "stranger" in to eat with them. During the meal their eyes were opened and their hope was fulfilled.
Luke 24:30-35, "When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”
They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread."
It's not fun to feel hopeless. But when God comes through and brings that sinking hope rising to the top there's nothing else like it. Motivation is restored, passion is restored; hope is restored. Earlier in the sermon I talked about Job. Job had feelings of hopelessness but that wasn't how his story ended. Although, it didn't start out well.
Job 6:8-11, “Oh, that I might have my request, that God would grant what I hope for, that God would be willing to crush me, to let loose his hand and cut me off! Then I would still have this consolation—my joy in unrelenting pain—that I had not denied the words of the Holy One. What strength do I have, that I should still hope? What prospects, that I should be patient?"
Job had lost hope of things ever getting better for him. Yet, he kept his integrity; he would not turn away from God and that was a key factor in Job's ability to persevere through this. He had not lost hope in God; even though he felt God was punishing him without cause. Job 13:15, "Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face."
Though God was allowing all of this calamity to come upon him, Job would not give up hope. Although he didn't understand why all this was happening to him, Job was able to keep going because his hope was in God. Job was innocent even though his friends misinterpreted his suffering as punishment from God for sin. Job tried to explain but it was falling on deaf ears.
He just wanted all of it to be over. He still had hope in God, knowing that God knew the truth. And Job knew there would come a day when he would be vindicated; even if that day wasn't until after he died. But Job wasn't going to have to wait that long. In chpt. 42 God vindicates Job to his friends. And God brought blessing in Job's life once again.
Job 42:10-13, " After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before. All his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before came and ate with him in his house. They comforted and consoled him over all the trouble the LORD had brought upon him, and each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring.
The LORD blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the first. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. And he also had seven sons and three daughters."
Job's hope was rewarded. Psalm 25:3 says that no one whose hope is in God will ever be put to shame. The ones who put their hope in God being who he says he is and the hope that God honors his promises will not be disappointed.
Rom. 5:1-5, "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."
We may be saved but that doesn't mean there won't be situations of trouble and turmoil coming our way. But, we have hope. We have the hope of knowing that going though such things brings perseverance, character and hope. And hope will never disappoint because we have the Holy Spirit, who is a confirmation of God's love and commitment to us. He enables us to have a strong, resilient hope.
Isa. 40:30-31, "Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."
When our hope is in the Lord we will be given the strength to carry on. When life weighs us down or trips us up, our hope in the Lord not only gets us through but it enables us to be renewed. We run with perseverance; we travel with durable hope. And we don't just walk, we don't just run-we soar. Our hope not only floats; it flies.
3) Hope rises.
1 Pet. 1:3, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead."
The term living hope refers to eternal hope; everlasting hope. This hope is alive because Jesus is alive; he is our hope. Because he's the author of life, and since he has resurrected from the dead and is alive forevermore, he is the one who offers us eternal life and therefore, through him, we have a living hope that will never die.
Maybe your hopes have been dashed. People have let you down, situations didn't turn out as you had hoped they would, etc. Maybe you feel there is no reason to have hope, but there is; you just need to find your hope in God. Jer. 29:11, "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
The Lord might not cause everything to turn out the way you want it to but you can always trust in him. God is our secure hope; our eternal hope. And no matter what has happened in your life, no matter how far along in life you are-there is always an opportunity to find hope.
But some people think they are beyond hope. "It's too late for me, I've messed up too much; I've done too much damage." Ecc. 9:4, "Anyone who is among the living has hope—even a live dog is better off than a dead lion!"
As long as you're alive you have a glimmer of hope. No matter what you've done, no matter what's been done to you; no matter how bad things are, no matter how bleak things look-as long as you're still breathing the possibility of hope still exists. Come to Jesus to gain the hope of eternal life. Turn your sinking hope into the hope that not only floats-it rises to the glory of heaven.
