Posts Tagged: Psalm 42:5

“THERE’S HOPE, AND THEN THERE’S HOPE!”

Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.”  (Psalm 42:5, KJV)

Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues.”  (Brother Lawrence.  Read more: https://www.christianquotes.info/top-quotes/16-encouraging-quotes-about-hope/#ixzz4wiEMwLpV)

My sponsor, Bob, is good about encouraging me, but at times he also challenges me.  For example, part of my report to my sponsor this morning was the following:

Subject: REPORT AND AFFIRMATION

Dear Bob,

“I plan to live in recovery today, without exception I hope!”

AFFIRMATION:  Today, by God’s grace, I will an exceptionally 12-step life.

My sponsor replied, “Get rid of the qualifier, ‘I hope’. You cannot give yourself permission to fail. Do or Don’t, there is no try.”

Enjoy your day 😊

However, I e mailed him the following reply:

“Not so sure you’re right on this one.  After all, hope is one of the three eternal virtues (1 Corinthians 13: 13).

I think that the crucial question is this: In whom or what am I trusting?  If I am trusting in myself or my unaided efforts, my “hope” would be another word for despair.

But if I am hoping in God, that is an entirely different matter.

However, your comment has invited me to ask a very difficult and important question.  Is my hope centered in God?

I hope (!!) this clarifies matter.   😊

Warm Regards”

But in a very profound sense, my sponsor is right.  I do frequently use hope to give myself an out for failure.  And when hope is used in that way, I am setting myself up for failure, and hope is not biblical hope.

“Hope thou in God,” says the psalmist (Psalm 42:5, 11).  And God is the One in whom I can hope confidently.  God forgives my sins, but God does not make room for those sins.  Rather, God makes room for me.  And a huge part of that “making room” for me is cleaning out all the moral, relational garbage that I tend to cling to as if it were some sort of treasure.

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