Proverbs 13:12
“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but desire fulfilled is a tree of life.”
Listening to the radio a few days ago I heard one of the most distressing news and I quote, “There’s been a huge jump in the number of children and young people seeking help for anxiety” and Brexit is one of the reasons. “Data from the NSPCC’s ChildLine service showed that it dealt with 11,706 counselling sessions where anxiety was mentioned in 2015/16 – a rate of nearly 1,000 a month”.
This is shocking and alarming, for young children as little as 8 to be seeking counsel for anxiety. We may ask ourselves why? or come up with different reasons why this has happened.
Philippians 4:6 says.
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with
thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;”
We all know that the one major cause of anxiety is hopelessness. When there is no hope, and the future looks bleak anxiety sets in.
Everything that the world has put its trust in is crumbling. Things are falling apart; the centre is not holding. Financial institutions, the health system, the benefits system, the job market, family life and the politicians do not have a clue. There is no hope out there in the world.
The truth is hopelessness is not caused by lack of money nor is it caused by lack of a wife or husband. Hopelessness is caused by not having God at the centre of our lives.
Sometimes when we go out evangelising and we ask people, “on a scale of zero to ten how will you rate your fulfilment in life?” We have never come across anyone who has confidently scored themselves ten, the highest I have ever heard has been 7. However, when asked “Do you think your life will have a better meaning if God was involved?” rarely will you hear someone say “no”. They may say “maybe” or “don’t know” but rarely will you hear them say “NO”.
For a believer, there is hope. The biblical hope goes beyond living a positive life, it goes beyond denying the facts, it is an assurance in God. Hope for a believer is the knowledge of God’s plans for his or her life.
Jeremiah 29:11
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper
you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
For you and I who believe in the truth of God’s word, we have an assurance that even in the midst of lack God shall supply and provide for us.
In Philippians 1:20 Paul says,
“according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be
ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified
in my body, whether by life or by death.”
The phrase “earnest expectation” in this verse of scripture and hope do mean the same thing. So, Paul is saying that HOPE is an earnest expectation.
Our Hope is not dependent on what we see or hear but dependent on the One who gave His life for us that we may be partakers of His riches in glory.Whatever you may be going through right now, do not loose heart because it is well with you.
You will not be put to shame. Great shall be the peace of your children, you shall not lack any good thing, because you have hope and your hope is not in vain. You have hope in God.
1 Thessalonians 1:4-5
“knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God. For our gospel did not
come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in
much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for
your sake.”
Our Hope is not based on arrogance or pride but based on confidence. Confidence in the God who called us out us of darkness into his marvellous light.
There is hope for you child of God.
