I HAVE LOST ALL HOPE

Prov 12:12

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.

• Considering this verse, should we place our hope in only those things we can surely attain?  Or if we hope for something for a long time and it appears 'hopeless', should we just give up and cut our losses?
• Both of these questions reflect forms of hopelessness.  Only hoping for what you will surely get does not require any hope at all and is similar to living in prison.  Giving up does not cut your losses, but locks in your losses - your loss of hope and spiritual strength.
• Even though no one desires to be hopeless, we (as humans) tend to do things which diminish our hope; like gravitating toward a mundane life or cutting off goals whenever the slightest obstacle comes into our path.  This is because hope can be spiritually and mentally strenuous in tough situations and many times we turn toward depression (or cynicism or substance abuse or a bad attitute or etc.), before reaching victory.
  
  
• Concepts:
  1. If every hope were fulfilled, you would not understand how great blessings are, and your blessings would not be that great or that fulfilling.  In other words, your hope would be dead.
     • Rom 8:24  "... hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees?"
  2. If every hope went unfulfilled, you may lose the ability to recognize a blessing and then lose the ability to be blessed.
     • Eccl 6:3  "If a man begets a hundred children and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not satisfied with goodness, or indeed he has no burial, I say that a stillborn child is better than he - "
  
  
• Hope is what gives us life and we must not lose hope regardless of the circumstances.  Otherwise, you will be hopeless.  Here are some of the descriptions of hope found in the Bible:

  Blessed	Titus 2:13	"(We are) looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of ... Jesus Christ,"
  Good	2Thes 2:16	"... Jesus Christ ... (who) has given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace,"
  Sure	Heb 6:19	"This hope we have (through Jesus) as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, ..."
  Better	Heb 7:19	"... the law made nothing perfect; ... (but) there is the bringing in of a better hope ... (through Jesus)"

  
  
• As you can see, there is great strength in hope.  That is, hope in God.  If your hopes and desires are not entrusted to God, then your hope will not have the strength of God, and disappointing circumstances can kill your dreams.
• Your hope can be strengthened if you have faith in what God says.  Here are just a few examples of God's Word that will shield your heart and keep your hope alive.

  1Pet 1:3-4	3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,   4  to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,
  John 10:27-28	27  My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.   28  And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.   29  My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand.
  Rom 8:28	And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
  Jer 29:11	For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

  
  
• THEREFORE:  Place your hope in God.  Then you will be able to reason like the Psalmist did 3000 years ago:

  Ps 42:11

  Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.

  
  
• Not only is hope great (in and of itself), but consider just a few of the qualities that hoping in God will produce in your life:

  Purity	1John 3:3	"... everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure."
  Joy	Rom 12:9-21	"... Cling to what is good; ... rejoicing in hope, ..."

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