I’m doing a word study on ‘Hope’ for my next book. It was interesting to see the word is Tiqvah in Hebrew and it means a stretched cord. That gives me an interesting word picture. Hope is a rope secured to a promise of God.
Hope anchors us in times of uncertainty.
Hope pulls us forward when fear paralyzes our feet.
Hope lifts our head, when the world disappoints.
Sometimes the cord stretches so far in the future we can’t see the promise. But the rope is still there guiding us forward. Hope is powerful.
How do We cultivate Hope?
1. Hope must be attached to a a promise from God. Meditate on the promise. When the winds blow, read the promise. When all seems lost, go back to the promise. I went through a period so difficult that my hope was attached to this promise: “Because of His love I will not be consumed.” I didn’t know what would happened, I just knew I would not be consumed in the midst of it.
2. Surround yourself with friends who will remind you of His promise. David was at a low point. Because of him, Saul had executed all of the priest except one. He had gone from living in the palace to running in the desert. His new army was 400 of society’s outcast. I’m sure he was having a pity party. But his buddy, Jonathan, came and reminded him of the promise. He pointed him back to the Prophetic word spoken over his life. He reminded him that his Tiqvah was still securely fastened to his waist.
3. Guard your thoughts. I have a friend who can go from a headache to me preaching her funeral in a matter of minutes. But she has learned to guard her thought life. She is learning to use that same imagination that prophesied gloom to prophesy God’s goodness. She is learning to derail that negative train of thought and hop aboard the thought train of hope.
I have not watched the news this morning. I know some of you are happy, some are disappointed. But regardless to last night’s election results, your hope should never be anchored in American politics. Our hope is anchored in the unwavering promises of God. The Bible says, those who hope in him are never disappointed.
Check your Tiqvah this morning. It is safely secured to his promise?
“And Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose and went to David at Horesh, and encouraged him in God. Thus he said to him, “Do not be afraid, because the hand of Saul my father will not find you, and you will be king over Israel and I will be next to you; and Saul my father knows that also.””
1 Samuel 23:16-17 NASB
