Yesterday friends and I were talking about hope.

There is a fragile sort  that is more like a wish. We wish our lives looked differently. We wish relationships were stronger. We wish our work found success. And when those things don’t happen, we wonder if hope was a mistake.

But there is another kind.

“We wait in hope for the Lord;
    he is our help and our shield.
 In him our hearts rejoice,
    for we trust in his holy name.
May your unfailing love be with us, Lord,
    even as we put our hope in you.” Psalm 33:20-22 (NIV)

That is a hope with a direction and focus. Hoping for someone else to change may lead to disappointment. Hoping for outcomes that look exactly the way we want may bring frustration. But placing solid, powerful trust in the truth that God is good, and will never stop loving us…that is a longing that never lets us down. Then we can watch Him bring grace into our lives, and be open to His answers looking different than we expect. Perhaps what we choose to dream for even begins to change.

(Lord, I admit I look for solutions in other places, often forgetting Your purposes. I expect others to swoop in and solve problems. Or I keep hoping I’ll be wise enough and strong enough on my own to beat every obstacle. But I need You. Today I lay my needs at Your feet, with joyful trust that You love me. Whatever unfolds, however the picture looks different from my wishes, I trust in Your goodness. Amen.)

Have you felt the pain of dashed hopes? What helps you at those times? Please feel free to share thoughts in the comments. Your thoughts may be just the encouragement someone else needs today.

Blessings!

Sharon Hinck