Our Living Hope!

I have been thinking a lot about hope recently…we may hope for something tangible, like a new house, car, or vacation; or for the intangible, such as finding true love, world peace, or the healing of the mind and body. The list is endless. We are all familiar with the saying: hope springs eternal. But if we lose our hope, it is a terrible thing, leaving us feeling utterly miserable and often with nowhere to turn. In a worst case scenario, people who are feeling hopeless and alone regarding their situation may resort to thoughts or actions of suicide. As human beings, we NEED to have a sense of purpose about our lives, but we also need to feel relevant to others. Even one close support person in our orbit can make all the difference!

Jeremiah 29:11-13 states: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” This wonderful promise that God gave to His prophet Jeremiah, thousands of years ago, still holds true for us today. I honestly believe that the key to holding onto our hope starts with having faith. When we ask God to answer our prayers, we need to wait in faithful expectation that He will (eventually) give us an answer. Hebrews 11:1 tells us: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

When God tarries, this is easier said than done. For the past five and a half years, I have been fervently hoping and praying for physical healing for my husband, Paul, who has been very unwell with a number of health issues. The worst symptom is the intense physical pain that he suffers with, both day and night. He lives in his own prison of pain. In August 2018, he woke up one day and could not walk. His back pain was excruciating, and we eventually discovered that the cause was nerve compression due to osteoarthritis. The next spring, he developed full-blown fibromyalgia, adding to his overall pain, muscle weakness and stiffness, exhaustion, and lack of sleep. We had been married a little over a year when he became disabled virtually overnight. Then, about a month ago, he received yet another life-altering diagnosis; one more blow to our lives. These days, Paul spends most of his time in bed, but is still able to pray for others. He now believes that this is his mission in life.

It is so hard to watch someone you love suffer so much and not become discouraged. There are times when I see that he is feeling down, however, his faith is strong, and he has a resilient personality. Together, we stand on God’s promises to give us both a hope and a future. Often, during the middle of the night, I will wake up and start praying. Although I have several concerns weighing on my heart at the moment, Paul is always at the top of the list. Well over a year ago, I had two separate visions or dreams while I was praying and meditating.

In the first dream, I saw my husband lying flat on his back on the ground, unzipping himself out of what looked to be his own body. Similar to a resurrection, he arose out of his “old” body as a new man; young, healthy, and happy! Indeed, he had a big smile on his face. In the second vision, a few weeks after the first, I dreamed that Paul and I were in a race. We were both young and dressed in running gear…I was chasing him but could not catch up! (Paul was a sprinter in high school and was very athletic; me, not so much!) Although it is entirely possible that God gave me a glimpse of our future life in Heaven, I would like to believe that these two separate dreams are prophetic in nature and are a promise yet to be fulfilled here on planet earth! In Mark 11:24, Jesus says: “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” It is so important to believe and constantly give thanks to God for all of our blessings.

Most recently, I woke up with a hymn in my mind, playing over and over. I had heard it on my playlist while driving one day, even though I had not actually added it to the list. The name of the song is Jesus Christ My Living Hope by Phil Wickham. The lyrics go like this:

Verse 1:
How great the chasm that lay between us
How high the mountain I could not climb
In desperation, I turned to heaven
And spoke your name into the night
Then through the darkness, Your lovingkindness
Tore through the shadows of my soul
The work is finished, the end is written
Jesus Christ, my living hope

Verse 2:
Who could imagine so great a mercy?
What heart could fathom such boundless grace?
The God of ages stepped down from glory
To wear my sin and bear my shame
The cross has spoken, I am forgiven
The King of Kings calls me His own
Beautiful Saviour, I’m Yours forever
Jesus Christ, my living hope

Verse 3:
Then came the morning that sealed the promise
Your buried body began to breathe
Out of the silence, the Roaring Lion
Declared the grave has no claim on me…(repeat)
Jesus, Yours is the victory,…

The chorus ends with this:

Hallelujah, praise the One who set me free
Hallelujah, death has lost its grip on me
You have broken every chain
There’s salvation in Your name
Jesus Christ, my living hope…(repeat)

It is a beautifully written and wonderfully performed song, and I would encourage you to take the time to listen to it. We do not yet know the ending of our own story, but we can take comfort and have confidence in the knowledge and promise that Christ is our living hope! Happy Easter!