Psalm 31:24
“Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the LORD.”
“I hope he chooses me! I hope he chooses me!” Those were the words that went through my mind as sides were being chosen for any team game we played when I was a young boy. Suffice it to say, I was usually one of the last to be called. More like a booby-prize than a cherished prize.
That concept of the meaning of the word “hope” seems to be all too common. It is thought of as wishing for something that could possibly happen, but we know the likelihood is very slim.
Let me correct that idea for us once and for all. The Hebrew word for hope as used in today’s scripture is the word yachal. It carries with it the meaning of expectation. Do you hear that? It is expectant waiting for something the Lord has prepared especially for us!
Please read that last sentence over one more time. It is expectant waiting for something the Lord has prepared especially for us! It is not what we desire for ourselves, but what God wants to do in and through us. I think the greatest joy in life is to be used of God.
May God richly bless you by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil