Hope and Confidence in God

Jim

Psalm 42
This psalm has the most wonderful refrain in verses 5 and 11 (and Psalm 43:5—Psalms 42 and 43 are actually a single unit that has been divided.) “Why are you cast down, O my soul. and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help and my God.” I love the hope and the certainty of these words. Yes, hard times come. Yes, we become frustrated and discouraged. Yes, there are days when our souls may become “disquieted.” But our hope remains in God and we will again praise God for God’s grace and mercy in our lives. Psalm 121 offers the same hope and confidence in different words: “I lift up my eyes to the hills—from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, why made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved….” The writers of the Psalms were “real people” facing real problems, real challenges. And the Psalms reflect that realism, but they always come back to hope and confidence in the God who had blessed God’s people in so many ways, and these same Psalms invite us, time after time, to share in the hope and confidence as well.

Acts 12:1-17
The Story of Peter’s release from prison is an example of how the early church understood the power that hope and confidence in God could produce. “While Peter was kept in prison, the church prayed fervently to God for him.” (Verse 5) The church should always be at prayer for those in need, but in times of crisis the community of faith should approach God with renewed fervor. In fact, one of the greatest gifts a congregation can offer the wider community is to be at prayer for its needs.

Mark 2:1-12
Along with prayer, the church must also be active in the world, helping to meet needs, just like the friends of the paralytic. The hope and confidence of the friends led them to take extraordinary measures. Are we willing to trust God enough to take such measures ourselves?