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(Presented by Lisa Bishop)
What are some ways to build hope?
Proverbs 3:5-6 has this wisdom.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
The Hebrew word for trust here means to be bold, confident, secure, and certain in who we put our confidence in. It means, make to hope. So when I trust God with all my heart the result is hope. I am confident and secure in putting my trust in him as he alone is my source of hope. Who or what we put our trust in, has a huge impact on our lives as followers of Christ.
The word Lord in these verses is translated Yehovah in Hebrew. Yehovah is the proper name of the one true God. Back in Old Testament times, much like today, people were putting their trust and hope in other gods—the god of money, fertility, the sun god, the god of fire, to name a few. They were depending on and placing their confidence in small gods, idols, but not the one true God. So here we are instructed to put our full confidence and hope in the one true God, Yehovah.
If we are honest, it can be tempting to put our trust and confidence in things, people, and circumstances and to not fully put our hope in Jesus. We too can look to things other than Jesus to provide hope: relationships, career, kids, our health, our wealth. But those things will not ultimately bring the satisfaction, the hope our hearts long for.
Trusting in the Lord with all my heart reminds me of the song Solid Rock.
My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly trust in Jesus’ name. On Christ the solid rock I stand all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand.
Who or what are you putting your trust, your hope in? Confess to Jesus and ask him to help you properly place your confidence in him.