Tuesday Thoughts: Hope

Monday musings were muddled - so here we are at Tuesday's thoughts.  It has been a whirlwind of activity since I arrived in TX on Thursday.  I have been to Tyler hanging out with Heather and Cooper; been in Dallas meeting my new great niece, Sophie Grace

 and go to Courtney Collin's (and Adam's) graduation from PT School (so proud of their achievements!);

to Arlington to hang out with friends (I even got to stop by and see my in-laws) and then over to Haslet to be with Ashley and James.  Not a lot of sleep but a lot of fun!


So many things have been going through my mind.  I feel like the Lord and I are in constant dialogue and I am learning something all the time.  This is what I read last night.

"This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil."  Hebrews 6:19

Hope:

not optimism

not a wish

not a dream

not luck

not fate

Hope:

sure

steadfast

Hope is not a feeling

Hope is Jesus

Jesus = Hope

I have had some discouraging things happen over the week in the midst of a lot of really great things.  The major discouragement I had was like a punch in the stomach.  It literally took the wind out of me and I was enveloped in sadness.  It caused me to take a long, hard look at what my hope was based on and ask myself why I felt like I did.  It wasn't fun - but it was good.

Here are some questions I asked myself.  Perhaps you need to ask and answer them also.

Is my hope anchored in Jesus or is it tied up in people or performance? prestige or principles?

How can I tell?  Perhaps by how easily it is dashed.

How do I react to disappointments?  

Am I able to keep my eyes on Jesus or do I immediately look inward and spiral down?

Am I trusting Jesus with those I love - 
with those that I have invested in?

Am I so anchored in the Lord that when the tidal waves of disappointment or discouragement come my way - I remain steadfast in Him?

Do I trust that my anchor will hold?

The word hope is used frequently in scripture 

My hope is in You

You are my hope

Hope does not disappoint

Rejoicing in hope

the hope of righteousness

the hope of the gospel

the hope of glory

the hope of salvation

the hope that is in You

I have seen those huge anchors for cruise ships and warships.  They are massive!  My hope in the Lord is massive too.  It is good to be reminded that He is the only One that I should be placing my hope in.  If I can rest in that - I am freed up to love without reserve and to give without limits.  

MY ANCHOR IS SECURE

MY HOPE IS STEADFAST AND SURE

In the words of an old hymn:

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.

           On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
           All other ground is sinking sand,
           All other ground is sinking sand.