There’s a verse in the Bible that says, “Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him.” Another way to present this saying is, “contrary to hope, in hope he believed.” Confused?
In all the ways Zion people are active in the community, we see most people living with their heads down. They watch their feet; they trudge through the day. And, at the end of these shorter days, they hide at home. There’s not much to be excited about as there’s too much evidence that life is going to be tough for a while.
The crunch we all expected as the fall-out from COVID has arrived; high inflation, people without work are losing their houses, and you need to sell one of your organs to afford the groceries! Young people in the community are wrung-out wrecks as they watch parents crumble and bend under the weight of life’s pressures. In the midst of chaos, calamity and confusion, pressure brings a burden too heavy for comfort. And hope, well, it’s long gone.
Tough times bring temptation to seek redress or reprieve from temporal solutions. We consider self-medication, avoidance or personal reserves as a means of survival, but deep down we anticipate the negative consequence of futile plans.
Tough times bring temptation to seek redress or reprieve from temporal solutions.
There is one true answer and time proves it over and over. Hope in the God of the heavens, who created all things, is our only safe passage through storms.
When Britain was under serious threat in 1940, King George invited the nation to a National Day of Prayer. Against all hope, (meaning, even when there was no reason to hope), the German forces stood still, and stranded British soldiers were rescued into Dunkirk. Winston Churchill himself is credited for the phrase, ‘the miracle of Dunkirk.’
When all else fails, when there is no hope to hang on to, putting our faith in a higher power is the way to find hope that is beyond our temporary circumstances. When all else fails, God cannot fail. I need to add, for the naysayers mind you, that God’s answers do not always match our expectations! Nevertheless, putting our hope in God will never let us down when all else fades or fails.
When all else fails, God cannot fail.
Abraham is held in esteem as a man of faith, as we read earlier. He believed in God when everything around him screamed the opposite. The evidence of the story shows that he found God to be true to His promise. This is why, even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping.
By hoping against all hope, Abraham is embracing the hope that comes from God’s promises above any hope he could have in the world or in the natural order of things.
To be sure, it’s true, life is difficult, and we will see more pressure come upon us. But take heart, you will never lose hope when your hope is in God.
But take heart, you will never lose hope when your hope is in God.
Originally shared in the TA News July 2022