Questions About Hope

A few days ago, the post prompt on “The Daily Post at WordPress.com” was:

What gives you hope? And what, if anything, makes you question hope? And what makes you question your questions of hope? And…

Wow, a three-parter!

My answer:

To the first question, I will echo the truth-based thoughts expressed over 170 years ago by Mr. Edward Mote:

*My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly trust in Jesus’ Name.

On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

When darkness seems to hide His face,
I rest on His unchanging grace.
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.

On Christ the solid Rock…

His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood.
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my Hope and Stay.

On Christ the solid Rock…

When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh may I then in Him be found.
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.

On Christ the solid Rock…

And, rest in the words written by the Apostle Paul, written over 1900 years ago:

¹ Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ²³ Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴ perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.

– Romans 5:1-5 (NIV)

To the second question, my humanness causes me to doubt the truth-based hope that I have. It’s easy to lose sight of the Truth and rely on my narrow view instead of the fact that God is (1) in control and (2) working things for His glory and my good. I may not understand things, but my hope is not based upon the requirement to have complete understanding of everything – my hope is based on faith in the Truth of God and His Word.

The third question, while probably meant to be humorous, is interesting none the less. I don’t question my questioning – nor am I’m not surprised at it either: it is human nature. The cool thing is that God didn’t create us to be robots – He gave us minds to think and question. It would be illogical for God to demand that we not use the minds He created. As I read the Bible, I don’t see where He mandates that we not desire or seek to understand the reasoning for things or for truth. That said, we are to trust in and submit to His control and providence and seek peace (that really only comes from Him) when we lose hope and can’t understand.

I know that all sounds illogical to some, but it’s actually quite logical…certainly as logical – or even more so – than holding no hope and no belief that there is a reason for everything.

[*The Solid Rock, Edward Mote, Public Domain]