Entering the new year with Hope, God blessed my days with many reflections on Hope, which poured forth here on the blog in many forms. My new One Word Friend seems intent on strengthening my heart for the days ahead. Learning the importance of hiding Hope in your heart helps prepare you for times when your heart loses the strength to see beyond the present darkness.
When the God of Hope hides His Hope in our hearts, we confidently rest in the knowledge that the best is yet to come, even in the darkest of times.
An anchor for our soul (Hebrews 6:19), our Hope in God tethers us to Christ in the storms of life, allowing us to remain present with God above the waves of turmoil seeking to drown us.
Welcome to Mindfulness Monday! Where we learn some easy ways to be more present “in the moment” at our jobs, in our homes, with our families and friends.
Learning to recognize God and what He has for us in each divine moment He offers. We acknowledge the belief that God is with us always.
We confess His presence is available to us, lifting our spirit and helping us with power and grace. Learning the art of “stillness” so we can hear His voice and view ourselves, others and our surroundings through His eyes.
hiding hope for time of drought
At one time or another in the coming year, times of drought and hardship will cross my path. But though I may encounter moments which feel hopeless, as a beloved daughter of God, Hope is never lost.
Hiding Hope in your heart on a daily basis through spending time with the God of Hope equips you for times of drought.
Strengthening your heart daily in God’s Word, reveals God’s character and work in your life, storing up the light of His truth for times when darkness hides His face.
David, the man after God’s own heart demonstrated through the psalms the power of hiding Hope for times of drought.
Psalm 42
As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, my God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?
3 My tears have been my food
day and night,
while people say to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”
4 These things I remember
as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go to the house of God
under the protection of the Mighty One[d]
with shouts of joy and praise
among the festive throng.
5 Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
6 My soul is downcast within me;
therefore I will remember you
from the land of the Jordan,
the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep
in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
have swept over me.
8 By day the Lord directs his love,
at night his song is with me—
a prayer to the God of my life.
9 I say to God my Rock,
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go about mourning,
oppressed by the enemy?”
10 My bones suffer mortal agony
as my foes taunt me,
saying to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”
11 Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
a heart strengthened by hope
Perhaps you recall seasons where verses one and two of Psalm 42 illustrated your pain and feeling of distance from God when you most needed Him.
Recalling a very recent time in my own life, the torment of my deep desire for God, contrasted with swirling doubts and mocking thoughts, found utterance in David’s opening words of this psalm.
Hopelessness gripped my heart. The emptiness of feeling distanced from God suffocated my efforts to refocus.
Until the Light of the glorious Hope within spoke of the God of unfailing Love, Presence, and Goodness.
Leaning hard into Hope strengthened and enabled me to clear the fog of distress and discouragement, resting instead within God’s faithfulness.
holding onto hope
Resting in remembrance shines as David’s signature first step when his soul becomes downcast. Rather than remain focused on the present distress, David “remembers” God’s faithfulness, goodness and love for him.
David sets the example for all who face distressing times, by reminding us to meditate on God’s past faithfulness and provision.
Our God remains unchangeable. As He was before, He will be again.
But David not only remembers, he boldly rests in the security of his relationship with God by asking “why?”
He directs this question to himself. “Why my soul are you downcast?” Avoiding passivity, he wrestles and examines where his struggle lay. Yes, we understand and accept we will feel discouraged, but we also know we must not remain there.
And so, he strengthens his soul through remembrance of God’s faithfulness in past trials, but also through looking forward through Hope to God’s sovereign care in this trial.
His wrestling reveals the sheer depth of his experience of God’s Presence with him in past times of trouble (deep calls unto deep, verse 7). Leading to his complete Hope in God for the future of his present circumstance.
hiding hope in your heart
The ultimate beauty of this psalm and others like it by David, shines in the vulnerability of reality. We wrestle with distress and discouragement; many times, there are no quick fixes or a clear way forward.
Yet we have a living Hope within our hearts hidden there by the tender, loving hand of God.
As we spend time in His Word, in His Presence, and listening with hearts delighted in Him, our intimacy grows, and with it our Hope becomes firmly embedded in our unchangeable God of Hope.
Donna, this is so encouraging and I really needed to hear this today.
I appreciate you sharing this encouragement with Sweet Tea & Friends this month dear friend.
Praise God, Paula you found encouragement here today! I am blessed by your words!
Donna,
I needed these tender reminders this week. Thank you, friend.
Blessings,
Tammy
Thank you, Tammy, I often write to myself, and in the face of a terrible loss this past week, leaned hard into this.
This is a beautiful reminder of Hope, Donna, “When the God of Hope hides His Hope in our hearts, we confidently rest in the knowledge that the best is yet to come, even in the darkest of times.”
Thank you, Lisa, I hold onto to that truth on many hard nights. God is so good as He continues to pour His unshakeable Hope into our hearts!
“Learning the importance of hiding Hope in your heart helps prepare you for times when your heart loses the strength to see beyond the present darkness.” Donna, this is so true. I love when the Lord encourages my heart by bringing a Scripture or a song to mind. I am so very grateful He protects His Word in our hearts and minds.
Joanne, I am truly blessed by learning to hide Hope in my heart for those hard paths and times of discouragement!
Donna, thank you for your beautiful post. I love this Psalm. Hiding hope is such an important thing to do. Oh let us remember God’s goodness and faithfulness even in our most hurting times.
Thank you, Deborah, for reading my post! This is one of my favorite psalms too, and such sweet encouragement there!
Donna, this is such a beautiful post. And thank you for the gentle truth that we all will have to grapple with distress and discouragement, but these don’t have the final word in our lives. The God of Hope does. I loved this: “We wrestle with distress and discouragement; many times, there are no quick fixes or a clear way forward.
Yet we have a living Hope within our hearts hidden there by the tender, loving hand of God.”
Thank you for sharing such gentle truths, my friend.
Jeanne your kind words truly encourage me. I am blessed to be travelling with the living Hope God prepared for us this year!