WE HAVE A LIVING HOPE

Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi

Psalm42:5-6" Why  art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me?  hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his  countenance. O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore  will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites,  from the hill Mizar."
       The word 'Jordan' is a word in the Hebrew which means to descend , to go downwards, to fall , and  Hermonites means 'Peaks '  and Mizar is a word which means petty in size or number.  These three words are an expression of the three phases in human life, namely,  the peak of one's achievement, the period of a downturn and when there is little progress. We may not be able to stop these circumstances  from taking place but we can control how we respond to them.
      The Christian life is full of ups and downs by virtue of the fact that as humans our carnal nature often interfers with God's will resulting in very unpleasant experiences. Before any crisis God always makes provisions for the difficult times ahead but unfortunately we sometimes get consumed with the pleasures of the moment and throw a deaf ear to His warnings.  This happens to the best of us. King David was a man referred to as a man after God’s heart. He became king of Israel and Judah by divine providence after a supernatural victory over Goliath (1Sam.17:55,2Sam.2:4) . At the peak of his carrier as a king he fell in love with his servant's wife and impregnated  her and eventually murdered her husband (2Sam.11:3-26). He was finally deposed as king by his son Absalom .Despite  these crisis he repented of his actions and God restored him back to the throne . It was during this period that he wrote psalm42.
            The principle to being hopeful in the midst of crisis  is the ability to remember what God says about whatever situation we might have found ourselves in. As complicated as they may seem, God has the solutions to our problems. The scriptures says in 1Cor.10:13  "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man:  but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that  ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape,  that ye may be able to bear it." He is ever so faithful that He won't abandon you to your problems (Lamentations 3:20) .He will not only save you but make you an instrument through which many will find salvation. He is able to do more than we ask for (Ephesians 3:20)
        We have a living hope with Jesus as our high priest ,the scriptures says in 1Peter 1:3 "Blessed   be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to  his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the  resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead," therefore we are reassured that if Christ could be raised from the dead, we too can experience a recovery from the worst of life's crisis. Our hope isn't tied to a non-living thing, it is alive.
        Trusting in God is the beginning of peace and joy with a living hope Romans 15:13 says " Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that  ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost." We should ask the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with joy and peace in hope on a daily basis. Hope gives birth to endurance and perseverance which is most treasured in the sustenance of  marriages and relationships. The scriptures says in 1Thessalonians1: 3 "Remembering without ceasing your  work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord  Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;"
         Regular interactions with students of the scriptures is one sure way of receiving hope in the time of crisis. The scriptures says in Ecclesiastes 9:4" For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion." It is hard to trust God when constantly being bombarded with the negativity from the world's media. Hope is transferable likewise  hopelessness, cynicism and pessimism .
 As you make Jesus Christ your lord and saviour and read this now, receive grace for overflowing peace , joy and hope in your hearts in Jesus name.
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