Restoring our Hope

This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 3rd, 2005.

Hope/Depression

Proverb:

Hope-deferred makes the heart sick;

Desire-fulfilled is a Tree of Life.

HOPE is to life what seeds are to the earth. We cannot be fruitful without it! Life is sterile without hope. DREAMS cannot be produced and destinies will not be fulfilled. Every good thing produced in life is born of hope. Where there is no faith in the future, there is no power in the present.

No one makes it through life without suffering “hope-deferred” to one degree or another. It is the common cold of the soul; however, this virus can kill! The symptoms appear in various degrees and various forms:

  • Discouragement to Depression
  • Doubt to Cynicism
  • Grief to Suicidal Tendencies

HOPE-DEFERRED produces

  • Resignation
  • Fear
  • Unbelief
  • Loss of Passion
  • Retreat from Life
  • Heart Diseases
  • Other Maladies

Hope-Deferred Imprisons the Soul!

What can cause this condition?

  • Death of a Loved One
  • Failed Marriage
  • Marriage – that never occurred
  • Promise “un-kept”
  • Betrayal
  • Rejection
  • False Accusation
  • Gallant Fight of Faith that is seemingly Lost The list is endless;

Hope-Deferred is “When a Dream dies — or when the dream is “laced in Fear.”

Now — for some Good News — I am sure you are ready for some!

Hope-Deferred-Heart-Disease doesn’t have to be FATAL! There is a fail-proof ANTIDOTE. In the book of Luke, JESUS, the Great Physician, came to heal the “broken hearted” — or those suffering from — “Hope-Deferred”.

During an open-heart surgery, a patient’s heart had been stopped from beating. When it was time to restart it, despite repeated attempts, the medical staff was unable to get the heart to beat again. Finally, although the patient was obviously unconscious, the surgeon leaned over and said into the patient’s ear: “We need your help; we cannot get your heart going. Tell your heart to start beating.” Immediately – incredible as it sounds – the patient’s heart began to beat again!

When we feel that life has little left, let us take stock. We will always find that we have something left.

Expect is a word like Hope, but it seems stronger:

  • EXPECT your night to give way to dawn!
  • EXPECT things to change!
  • EXPECT your enemies to fall!

A scripture in the New Testament reads

“Now may the GOD of HOPE fill you with all JOY and PEACE in believing, that you may abound in HOPE by the power of the HOLY GHOST.”

So – tell your HEART to start BEATING AGAIN and start . . .

HOPING!