Joel 3:16

“The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.”

Hope is defined as a feeling of trust.

I once heard a sermon title “Living on the other side of the comma.”

Taken from 2 Corinthians 4:8-9.

The idea is that many times we are focused on the trial or trouble we are dealing with, rather than seeing the benefits that come from serving a faithful and gracious God. Instead of looking at the trouble, let us see the one who delivers us from the trouble.

I know I say this a lot, that is because it bears repeating. Trust = love. We cannot truly love God with out trusting him. Trusting him to be who he said he is. Trusting him to do what he said he would. This is the type of relationship God desires to have with his people. That we would take him at his word and stand by faith on his word.

Again, I say Hope is defined as a feeling of trust. Trust in God.

No matter what is going on in our lives, we must focus on what God said he would do/would be. “But the Lord will be the hope of his people!”

We must train ourselves to look at what is after the trouble – “but the Lord will be the hope of his people.”

⁃ Sickness comes, but the Lord.

⁃ Bills are due, and money is short, but the Lord.

⁃ My children are in trouble, but the Lord.

⁃ Struggling to live by faith, but the Lord.

God understands everything we feel. Even when our struggle is with faith. Hebrews 4:15 tells us that God knows and understand how we feel. He walked in the flesh just as we do, but he over came. And because he did, so can we too. We just have to cast our care (trouble, trials, feelings, emotions, etc.) on him because he cares for us. And he can handle what we face.

But the Lord will be the hope of his people. The Lord is your hope. You can trust him, you just have to be willing to try him. He won’t fail you or let you down.

Stretch out in your faith. Do more, go farther than you have before. The Lord is your hope, you can trust him. If he is leading you to do – move forward by faith. Don’t focus the things that could possibly happen. Instead, focus on the Lord who is your help, and possess the land he has given you.

The Lord is the hope of his people!

Have a blessed day.