(I'd like to express my thanks to Bro. Kyle Pope for his book, HOPE THE ANCHOR FOR THE SOUL, from which I received many scriptures used in this article. His words and scriptures, in lesson one of his book, led my thinking in teaching this recently, and in writing this article).
HOPELESS OR HOPEFUL?
By Angela Wisdom
We sing a song in worship,
“We Have An Anchor” by Priscilla J. Owens 1882
Will your anchor hold in the storms of life,
When the clouds unfold their wings of strife?
When the strong tides lift and the cables strain,
Will your anchor drift, or firm remain?
It is safely moored, ‘twill the storm withstand,
For ‘tis well secured by the Savior’s hand;
And the cables, passed from His heart to mine,
Can defy the blast, thru strength divine.
When our eyes behold thru the gath’ring night
The city of gold, our harbor bright,
We shall anchor fast by the heavenly shore,
With the storms all past forevermore.
We have an anchor that keeps the soul
Steadfast and sure while the billows roll,
Fastened to the Rock which cannot move,
Grounded firm and deep in the Savior’s love.
The song asks us some questions, “Will your anchor hold in the storms of life? Will your anchor drift, or firm remain?
We all know what will happen to a boat on the sea that is not anchored. It will drift, perhaps capsize and be lost. So many people today are like that boat that is not anchored. They drift without hope.
The virus Covid has brought to light many people who are not anchored. They have forgotten their “hope”. WHAT IS THEIR HOPE?? Their hope is Eternal Life (Titus 1:2).
There are churches of the Lord's where attendance still suffers because of the fears of this life and the loss of hope. If this lesson does anything for you, I hope it will make you realize that “we have a hope” – a hope that is real; a hope that transcends anything that may happen in this life and supersedes the things that happen in this life.
What causes us to lose our hope? Sometimes it is the storms of this life, such as Covid. It can be death of loved ones. It can be physical hunger or suffering from disease or persecution (either from government, individuals, or even God’s people) It can be economic suffering.
There is a woman in the Bible who had storms in her life – NAOMI. (Ruth 1: 1 – 5) Notice the progression of her life:
Ruth 1: 1 -- Naomi’s family had to move because of famine. Not only did they move, but they moved to a land away from God’s people to the land of Moab where God’s enemies were.
1:3 – Naomi’s husband died.
1:4 – Her sons took Moabite wives. (Deut. 25:5) -- Israelites were not to marry outside of Israel.
1: 5 – Both of her sons died.
Naomi finally heard that God’s people had food, and the famine was over, so she planned to go home. But as she traveled home, notice her mindset as she talks to her daughters-in-law:
Rth 1:12 - 13 Turn back, my daughters; go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, even if I should have a husband this night and should bear sons, would you therefore wait till they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, for it is exceedingly bitter to me for your sake that the hand of the LORD has gone out against me.”
Naomi thought God’s hand was against her and that was the reason all these things had happened. However, Naomi could not see into the future. She could not see all the blessings that would come to her and her family. A son was born to her daughter-in-law who would become the grandfather of King David. (4:17), and in his lineage eventually the Christ would come.
This shows us that when bad things happen, we don’t know the whole picture, just as Naomi did not. God does, and He works things out for His own will, not ours.
The Prophet ELIJAH had storms in his life. Elijah had to tell the king of Israel that it would not rain, then he had to hide by a brook for a while and let the LORD feed him. He stayed with a widow woman and her son during days of famine caused by lack of rain, and the LORD fed them with meal and oil. The king of Israel called Elijah a troubler of Israel, when all Elijah had done was do God’s will.
Elijah knew that Jezebel the queen was responsible for killing many of God’s prophets. He was charged with telling king Ahab that he had quit following God’s commandments. Elijah, with God’s help, killed many of the prophets of Baal. That was a glorious day for the God of Israel, but Queen Jezebel focused in on Elijah and wanted to kill him. PROVIDENTIALLY God took care of Elijah during all of this.
Look at I Kings 19: 9 – 13 and pay attention to his mindset. Two times God asks Elijah, “What doest thou here, Elijah?” In verse 14 we see that Elijah is pretty down and depressed. He thought things looked pretty bad for God’s people. He thought he was the only one left to do right for God. But it is here that we see the LORD tell Elijah that he is not the only one left. In fact, he still has work to do (I Kings 19: 15 – 18). God told him to anoint Hazael as king over Syria, Jehu as king of Israel, and Elisha as the prophet to take the Elijah’s own place. Elijah learned that just when things looked pretty hopeless, God still had work for him to do. In fact, there were still people serving God whom he knew nothing about – Elijah was not the only one left – things were not as hopeless as he first believed.
DEPRESSION has very much affected people during this pandemic. We need to realize as Elijah did that these things are NOT hopeless. God told Elijah there was still much work to do. There is still work for US to do! Do you think God may need to ask US as He did Elijah, “WHAT DOEST THOU HERE??”
Have you ever hoped for something that seems will never happen? Maybe not for something tangible, but something intangible? Perhaps to see a loved one turn back to God? To hope for the return of health for a sick loved one? For the church to grow numerically as well as spiritually? (By the way we all need to be praying for this!) When we see our desires and hopes realized it is as the writer of Proverbs says, is it not? It is “a tree of life”! (Prov. 13:12)
God reminded Israel of their hope when things looked quite hopeless for them. Why do we need to look at Israel, and how does that apply to us today? Romans 15:4 tells us that we learn about those things in the Old Testament so that WE can learn PATIENCE and have COMFORT and have HOPE!
Don’t we all want to learn PATIENCE, be COMFORTED, and have HOPE?? We need Patience when we are waiting for what we Hope for don’t we. As we wait, don’t we want to be Comforted? Looking at these Old Testament examples helps us learn these things. Seeing our hope realized becomes a "tree of life" to us.
God had a prophet named Ezekiel. He spoke to Ezekiel while he was a captive in a foreign land, in Babylon. God sent him there because His people were rebellious. Look at Ezekiel 2: 3 – 6 to see what a state Israel was in. Israel was rebellious. They sinned against God, even on the same day that God talked to Ezekiel about them. They were impudent and stiff hearted.
Yet, God told Ezekiel twice in verse 6 “be not afraid of their words” – He also said “don’t be dismayed by their looks”. Doesn’t this sounds like people of today? They use their words to threaten. They try to dismay us by their looks.
Israel had come to such a sad state spiritually that God said He would not spare them or have pity on them. And God also told Ezekiel how he would humble and destroy them (Ezek. 5: 11 – 12).
We can see Israel’s mindset of hopelessness when God allowed all these things to afflict them. God talked to him in the valley of dry bones in Ezekiel 37:11 and Israel said, “our hope is lost”. Yet, as wicked as Israel had been, God still gave them hope for the future (Ezek. 37: 26 – 28).
As we discussed earlier, the Old Testament was written for our learning,. If we want to be hopeless then we will follow our own way instead of God’s way as Israel did! The prophet Jeremiah told Israel this in Jeremiah 18: 11- 12.
Israel, in their wickedness, devised evil against God’s spokesman who wanted them to turn back to God (Jer. 18:18). Can we be like Israel of old? Yes we can! When God’s leaders are saying, “We need to look at what God wants instead of what we want.”, but we say, as Israel did, “Let’s not listen to what they have to say about God’s word.”, then we are being like Israel of old.
Our hope is to be based on God’s steadfast love for us. Our hope cannot be in the things of this life, or in the wisdom of men. NOTICE what the Psalmist says in Psalm 33: 16 - 22: There is no king or leader in this world (no President), and no army that can save us. God is going to save those who fear Him and Hope in His steadfast love.
God will save our soul from death.
God will keep us alive during famine.
OUR JOB? – Wait for the LORD because He is our help and shield.
Be glad in Him by trusting in Him.
Ask that His steadfast love be on us.. . PRAY!!
Realize He is our HOPE . . . Our Hope is not in this Physical life; we are not going to live here forever.
David said he knew where he needed to be – in God’s assembly (Psa. 26:12). That is where he could bless his God. That is where we can bless OUR God.
WHERE ARE WE? HAVE WE FELT HOPELESS during this period of time? Our world is in turmoil. This virus seems to get better and then it gets worse. Loved ones have died. More may die. The political climate is corrupt and we may begin to see our freedoms taken away. It is as in the days of Isaiah when there are those who call evil good, and good evil (Isa.5:20). One bad thing happens after another. Our nation’s children have begun to kill one another, and many have become confused on what gender they are. Wickedness, homosexuality and perversion abounds, People are hurting economically.
There is one thing that cannot be taken away from us though, and that is HOPE.
HOPE in God’s steadfast love and care.
HOPE in His care and protection of us. Does this mean we won’t get sick? No. But it does mean that if we do, He will care for us, and if we do die we have a HOPE, a hope the world does not have – Heaven. And isn’t that why we serve Him? Isn’t that what we want?
HOPE in God’s wisdom to do what He deems best. We don’t know, as Naomi didn’t, the whole picture. Perhaps God is using these times and this virus to see who will be faithful servants of His.
HOPE in God’s Word and the ability to change man from what is evil into what is good.
Are we teaching our children and grandchildren about this HOPE? Are we teaching them that not only are we to LIVE for God, but we must be ready to DIE for Him?
Or, have we become COMPLACENT like the Women of Israel? Isaiah censured the women of Israel for this before their captivity. Israel’s WOMEN became COMPLACENT (careless is the thought). Isa. 3 tells us they lived a life of self-indulgence and affluence, and they felt no alarm at God’s warnings. (Isaiah 32: 9 – 11). To paraphrase, Isaiah told them, “ You’d better hear my voice. Your grape harvest will fail. You’ll have no fruit harvest. You’d better tremble, you women who are at ease. Mourn for what is going to happen.”
LET US LEARN THE LESSON FROM THEM. LET'S NOT BE COMPLACENT. LET US BE HOPEFUL IN GOD’S PROMISES AND CARE. Let’s be obedient to His commands.
ISAIAH told the women of Israel:
Isa 32:9 Rise up, you women who are at ease, hear my voice; you complacent daughters, give ear to my speech. (In other words: Listen to what God says.)
Are we like David? Do our feet stand on level ground? Are you HOPEFUL, or HOPELESS?
HOPELESS OR HOPEFUL?
By Angela Wisdom
We sing a song in worship,
“We Have An Anchor” by Priscilla J. Owens 1882
Will your anchor hold in the storms of life,
When the clouds unfold their wings of strife?
When the strong tides lift and the cables strain,
Will your anchor drift, or firm remain?
It is safely moored, ‘twill the storm withstand,
For ‘tis well secured by the Savior’s hand;
And the cables, passed from His heart to mine,
Can defy the blast, thru strength divine.
When our eyes behold thru the gath’ring night
The city of gold, our harbor bright,
We shall anchor fast by the heavenly shore,
With the storms all past forevermore.
We have an anchor that keeps the soul
Steadfast and sure while the billows roll,
Fastened to the Rock which cannot move,
Grounded firm and deep in the Savior’s love.
The song asks us some questions, “Will your anchor hold in the storms of life? Will your anchor drift, or firm remain?
We all know what will happen to a boat on the sea that is not anchored. It will drift, perhaps capsize and be lost. So many people today are like that boat that is not anchored. They drift without hope.
The virus Covid has brought to light many people who are not anchored. They have forgotten their “hope”. WHAT IS THEIR HOPE?? Their hope is Eternal Life (Titus 1:2).
There are churches of the Lord's where attendance still suffers because of the fears of this life and the loss of hope. If this lesson does anything for you, I hope it will make you realize that “we have a hope” – a hope that is real; a hope that transcends anything that may happen in this life and supersedes the things that happen in this life.
What causes us to lose our hope? Sometimes it is the storms of this life, such as Covid. It can be death of loved ones. It can be physical hunger or suffering from disease or persecution (either from government, individuals, or even God’s people) It can be economic suffering.
There is a woman in the Bible who had storms in her life – NAOMI. (Ruth 1: 1 – 5) Notice the progression of her life:
Ruth 1: 1 -- Naomi’s family had to move because of famine. Not only did they move, but they moved to a land away from God’s people to the land of Moab where God’s enemies were.
1:3 – Naomi’s husband died.
1:4 – Her sons took Moabite wives. (Deut. 25:5) -- Israelites were not to marry outside of Israel.
1: 5 – Both of her sons died.
Naomi finally heard that God’s people had food, and the famine was over, so she planned to go home. But as she traveled home, notice her mindset as she talks to her daughters-in-law:
Rth 1:12 - 13 Turn back, my daughters; go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, even if I should have a husband this night and should bear sons, would you therefore wait till they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, for it is exceedingly bitter to me for your sake that the hand of the LORD has gone out against me.”
Naomi thought God’s hand was against her and that was the reason all these things had happened. However, Naomi could not see into the future. She could not see all the blessings that would come to her and her family. A son was born to her daughter-in-law who would become the grandfather of King David. (4:17), and in his lineage eventually the Christ would come.
This shows us that when bad things happen, we don’t know the whole picture, just as Naomi did not. God does, and He works things out for His own will, not ours.
The Prophet ELIJAH had storms in his life. Elijah had to tell the king of Israel that it would not rain, then he had to hide by a brook for a while and let the LORD feed him. He stayed with a widow woman and her son during days of famine caused by lack of rain, and the LORD fed them with meal and oil. The king of Israel called Elijah a troubler of Israel, when all Elijah had done was do God’s will.
Elijah knew that Jezebel the queen was responsible for killing many of God’s prophets. He was charged with telling king Ahab that he had quit following God’s commandments. Elijah, with God’s help, killed many of the prophets of Baal. That was a glorious day for the God of Israel, but Queen Jezebel focused in on Elijah and wanted to kill him. PROVIDENTIALLY God took care of Elijah during all of this.
Look at I Kings 19: 9 – 13 and pay attention to his mindset. Two times God asks Elijah, “What doest thou here, Elijah?” In verse 14 we see that Elijah is pretty down and depressed. He thought things looked pretty bad for God’s people. He thought he was the only one left to do right for God. But it is here that we see the LORD tell Elijah that he is not the only one left. In fact, he still has work to do (I Kings 19: 15 – 18). God told him to anoint Hazael as king over Syria, Jehu as king of Israel, and Elisha as the prophet to take the Elijah’s own place. Elijah learned that just when things looked pretty hopeless, God still had work for him to do. In fact, there were still people serving God whom he knew nothing about – Elijah was not the only one left – things were not as hopeless as he first believed.
DEPRESSION has very much affected people during this pandemic. We need to realize as Elijah did that these things are NOT hopeless. God told Elijah there was still much work to do. There is still work for US to do! Do you think God may need to ask US as He did Elijah, “WHAT DOEST THOU HERE??”
Have you ever hoped for something that seems will never happen? Maybe not for something tangible, but something intangible? Perhaps to see a loved one turn back to God? To hope for the return of health for a sick loved one? For the church to grow numerically as well as spiritually? (By the way we all need to be praying for this!) When we see our desires and hopes realized it is as the writer of Proverbs says, is it not? It is “a tree of life”! (Prov. 13:12)
God reminded Israel of their hope when things looked quite hopeless for them. Why do we need to look at Israel, and how does that apply to us today? Romans 15:4 tells us that we learn about those things in the Old Testament so that WE can learn PATIENCE and have COMFORT and have HOPE!
Don’t we all want to learn PATIENCE, be COMFORTED, and have HOPE?? We need Patience when we are waiting for what we Hope for don’t we. As we wait, don’t we want to be Comforted? Looking at these Old Testament examples helps us learn these things. Seeing our hope realized becomes a "tree of life" to us.
God had a prophet named Ezekiel. He spoke to Ezekiel while he was a captive in a foreign land, in Babylon. God sent him there because His people were rebellious. Look at Ezekiel 2: 3 – 6 to see what a state Israel was in. Israel was rebellious. They sinned against God, even on the same day that God talked to Ezekiel about them. They were impudent and stiff hearted.
Yet, God told Ezekiel twice in verse 6 “be not afraid of their words” – He also said “don’t be dismayed by their looks”. Doesn’t this sounds like people of today? They use their words to threaten. They try to dismay us by their looks.
Israel had come to such a sad state spiritually that God said He would not spare them or have pity on them. And God also told Ezekiel how he would humble and destroy them (Ezek. 5: 11 – 12).
We can see Israel’s mindset of hopelessness when God allowed all these things to afflict them. God talked to him in the valley of dry bones in Ezekiel 37:11 and Israel said, “our hope is lost”. Yet, as wicked as Israel had been, God still gave them hope for the future (Ezek. 37: 26 – 28).
As we discussed earlier, the Old Testament was written for our learning,. If we want to be hopeless then we will follow our own way instead of God’s way as Israel did! The prophet Jeremiah told Israel this in Jeremiah 18: 11- 12.
Israel, in their wickedness, devised evil against God’s spokesman who wanted them to turn back to God (Jer. 18:18). Can we be like Israel of old? Yes we can! When God’s leaders are saying, “We need to look at what God wants instead of what we want.”, but we say, as Israel did, “Let’s not listen to what they have to say about God’s word.”, then we are being like Israel of old.
Our hope is to be based on God’s steadfast love for us. Our hope cannot be in the things of this life, or in the wisdom of men. NOTICE what the Psalmist says in Psalm 33: 16 - 22: There is no king or leader in this world (no President), and no army that can save us. God is going to save those who fear Him and Hope in His steadfast love.
God will save our soul from death.
God will keep us alive during famine.
OUR JOB? – Wait for the LORD because He is our help and shield.
Be glad in Him by trusting in Him.
Ask that His steadfast love be on us.. . PRAY!!
Realize He is our HOPE . . . Our Hope is not in this Physical life; we are not going to live here forever.
David said he knew where he needed to be – in God’s assembly (Psa. 26:12). That is where he could bless his God. That is where we can bless OUR God.
WHERE ARE WE? HAVE WE FELT HOPELESS during this period of time? Our world is in turmoil. This virus seems to get better and then it gets worse. Loved ones have died. More may die. The political climate is corrupt and we may begin to see our freedoms taken away. It is as in the days of Isaiah when there are those who call evil good, and good evil (Isa.5:20). One bad thing happens after another. Our nation’s children have begun to kill one another, and many have become confused on what gender they are. Wickedness, homosexuality and perversion abounds, People are hurting economically.
There is one thing that cannot be taken away from us though, and that is HOPE.
HOPE in God’s steadfast love and care.
HOPE in His care and protection of us. Does this mean we won’t get sick? No. But it does mean that if we do, He will care for us, and if we do die we have a HOPE, a hope the world does not have – Heaven. And isn’t that why we serve Him? Isn’t that what we want?
HOPE in God’s wisdom to do what He deems best. We don’t know, as Naomi didn’t, the whole picture. Perhaps God is using these times and this virus to see who will be faithful servants of His.
HOPE in God’s Word and the ability to change man from what is evil into what is good.
Are we teaching our children and grandchildren about this HOPE? Are we teaching them that not only are we to LIVE for God, but we must be ready to DIE for Him?
Or, have we become COMPLACENT like the Women of Israel? Isaiah censured the women of Israel for this before their captivity. Israel’s WOMEN became COMPLACENT (careless is the thought). Isa. 3 tells us they lived a life of self-indulgence and affluence, and they felt no alarm at God’s warnings. (Isaiah 32: 9 – 11). To paraphrase, Isaiah told them, “ You’d better hear my voice. Your grape harvest will fail. You’ll have no fruit harvest. You’d better tremble, you women who are at ease. Mourn for what is going to happen.”
LET US LEARN THE LESSON FROM THEM. LET'S NOT BE COMPLACENT. LET US BE HOPEFUL IN GOD’S PROMISES AND CARE. Let’s be obedient to His commands.
ISAIAH told the women of Israel:
Isa 32:9 Rise up, you women who are at ease, hear my voice; you complacent daughters, give ear to my speech. (In other words: Listen to what God says.)
Are we like David? Do our feet stand on level ground? Are you HOPEFUL, or HOPELESS?