Expectant Hope – Hope Wins – Day 5

This Psalm is one of the penitential Psalms and was written after David’s sin with Bathsheba. It goes into graphic detail as it describes the symptoms and the afflictions and it would seem that it is not very edifying until you find the gem buried in the middle of it is.  There is an amazing hope statement found in verse 15. Hope is so much more than blind optimism or looking on the bright side of things, although it is the final result of hope. Hope looks the problem straight in the face and admits that all is not well. The solution is to repent and discover the mercy of God in the midst of it all.

There is a great tension between the devastating effects of illness and the promise of healing. My late husband, Bill, was diagnosed with an adult-set form of muscular dystrophy (FSHD). We had been praying for his healing for many years and we continued to do so. In our ministry, we saw many healed miraculously through faith as it says in Isaiah 53:5. In my husband’s situation, his physical condition worsened gradually until the point that his diaphragm failed necessitating a ventilator to breathe and not being to swallow at all. These are devastating results and could have been faith shattering. Instead, I saw a great man become my hero. I do not have the theological answers to it all. I do have peace.

Every day as I went in to help Bill start his day, he would point to his legs. I knew what that meant. I prayed with all my faith that he would be completely healed as he squeezed my hand. This was a source of strength and courage as he struggled to do the simplest things. As we went throughout the day, praise music was playing. One of our favorite songs was, This is the Air I Breathe. As soon as I heard it, I would run into the den and grab Bill’s hand as we sang it together. I remember one of Bill’s message on his white board saying, “I used to think I depended on God until I depended on Him for every breath.” We experienced hope in the midst of the mess. In fact, our hope grew!

Hope is so much more than a positive mental attitude. Often, in human effort, we can attempt to eliminate all the negative by pretending it doesn’t exist. Hope, on the other hand, acknowledges the darkness and invites the light of the Lord to shine into every dark corner. The Psalmist is brutally honest in recounting his woes and the difficulties he is facing. Nestled in the midst of his list of woes you find a treasure in the word ‘still’. It is the word kiy in Hebrew that denotes certainty and doubtless faith in the midst of it all. The word ‘hope’ here is also translated as ‘wait expectantly’. The word ‘hear’ goes beyond a sense of someone who hears a sound and does nothing. It is more like we use the word ‘listen’ because it implies there will be a response and an answer. Knowing that renews the confidence that God has this whole situation handled and therein lies our hope. We will hear from Him and He will answer us.

Thank You, Lord, for hearing me even when I complain and vent about my circumstances. I am so thankful that You know my heart and love me just the same. In fact, You encourage me to transparently bow before you in the midst of it all. I boldly proclaim in the midst of all the mess that STILL You are worth waiting for. I refuse to make it happen in my own strength. I wait with expectant hope because You hear me and you will answer. I believe this in Jesus’ name. Amen.