My Hope Is In You, Lord

There's a popular praise song with the lyrics...

      My life is in You, Lord
     My hope is in You, Lord.
    My strength is in You, Lord
    It's in You, it's in You...

But lately, the only part I hear is

MY HOPE IS IN YOU, LORD...

over and over...

Because everywhere I turn I see people with absolutely no hope.

They are in despair, and they cannot find even a sliver a light in their darkness.

You might expect that from people living in homeless camps.

But it's not just the homeless who've lost hope.

There are church members, board members, old friends, as well as new, who are reaching out with tales of loss, grief, and despair.

This week was unusually tough.

I was honored when the first friend called for spiritual guidance. There was a time when I sought out her godly advice as I struggled. A true friendship, that's what it's all about.

Then came three more calls, two visits to the church, and five people wanting to talk privately after meetings.

Just this week.

That's not counting the dozen or so guys on the streets I talked to.

And the theme was the same: hopelessness.

What is going on? I wondered.

Why such despair? Why has the devil convinced everyone that their lives aren't worth living? 

I realized I partly answered my own question. Satan comes to steal, kill, and destroy. At least I recognized the enemy right off the bat.

But why was it so bad? Why so many calls this week alone?

I knew it wasn't about me. The air itself had a damper on it, as if a blanket had been thrown over everyone.
Something had happened in the spiritual realm and many people were caught in the crossfire.

Some don't know the Lord. And quite frankly, maybe they should be worried. Because even if the circumstances change and they become happy again, without Christ they are going to die and go to hell. To try and cheer them up would be like putting a band-aid on a 10-inch bone-deep cut. Pointless.

For those, I share salvation. I don't force it because HE doesn't force Himself. But I do share my story. "For me, it all changed when..." Then I let the Holy Spirit do the rest.

It's a little harder with other Christians.

They KNOW a better life. They have had hope...but now it's gone. Some are trying to get it back; some stopped trying a long time ago.

WHY? I began praying in earnest for an answer. That's when the song lyrics began playing in my head.

My hope is in You, Lord...

We've forgotten that our hope is in HIM. We've placed it in our jobs, money, our kids, our possessions..even our PHONES. We've tried to fix external circumstances to heal an internal void. We've tried to use physical measures to fight a spiritual battle.

Our hope is in HIM...

I wish I could just make it better. I can share my own experiences; I can pray. But ultimately, with every single one of them, it boils down to their relationships with God. Whether it's anger at God, hurt with loved ones, or fear over hard circumstances, we, as Christians, must let go of the strongholds and have faith in Him.

Even when we are mad at Him.

I never understood that concept until I married my best friend. Now, even in the midst of a fight, I find that he is the one I want to turn to. A little weird (and often I'm too stubborn to admit to him that I need him) but he is my husband, my best friend, and I trust him to help me through EVERYTHING...even the problems HE caused!

So we must learn to do the same with God.

Be honest with Him..

Okay, God..I don't get it. Why did you let this happen? But I trust You and I know you are the only one who can help me through...so even though I'm mad at You, I need You..

Right now, everyone...pick a side!

Team A "I'm feeling hopeless" (That's okay. We have ALL been there.) Commit to ONE WEEK of focusing only on your relationship with God. Read your Bible for at least five minutes each day. Go to at least one service. Turn off the music that feeds those demons (you know what I mean) and listen to something uplifting all week. Treat yourself to something whether it's an ice cream cone, a movie, or a bubble bath. Call someone who will encourage you. (Don't have anyone? Call me...228-623-0387) Talk to the Lord or if you find that difficult, write a letter to Him.

Team B "I'm okay." (On this team, you may be barely treading water or on top of the world.) While you are welcome to do any of things Team A is doing, your job here is important. PRAY DAILY FOR TEAM A.
This is important and I'm counting on each of you. The world is full of hopeless people right now and we are going to pray them into the kingdom of light. Some need salvation, some need restoration, some need healing. They all need YOU.