My Hope Is In The Lord

And now Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in You. Psalms 39:7 (NKJV)

A short time ago, my friend and I spoke of what the new year holds for us. As we compared and compiled the upcoming events, we suddenly found ourselves in the month of August. As I drove home I panicked when I asked myself what I was going to do when something unexpected presented itself. My first thoughts drifted to my 93-year old grandmother. She is so frail and her last breath could be at any moment. A trip to Wisconsin to bury her, a memorial service in Ohio. "Any time after August, Lord," I prayed. The entire trip home I played the mind game of what-ifs.

Once I was home, the reality of my life drowned out my thoughts and I busied myself with laundry, cleaning, cooking and conversation with my family. I didn't think of my new year events until I sat behind my friend at her mother's funeral service a couple days later. Psalms 39:6 was read. Surely every man walks about like a shadow; surely they busy themselves in vain.

My busy-ness is in vain, meaningless, and empty. A shadow.I walk about as a shadow. A shadow has no face or color. It is a distorted figure of an object that is blocking light rays. There is no heart or soul in a shadow, nor is there laughter or hope. It is mindless and lacks judgment. Backing up two verses in this chapter we read, Lord, make me to know my end, and what is the measure of my days, that I may know how frail I am. Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths, and my age is as nothing before You; Certainly every man at his best state is but a vapor.

Physically, in my best state I am but a vapor. Handbreadths.hold up your hand, fold in your thumb and close the four fingers. Basically, we are not anything significant in our human existence. We are all so frail, yet we wrap ourselves in accomplishing worldly tasks that make no difference in eternity. We all should say with David, "And now Lord, what do I wait for?" What am I doing, and why am I doing it?

The upcoming events in my life are important, and ones I have very little control over. The walnut and rice analogy my friend Beth talks about will be applicable as I approach each new day. Daily I need to remind myself that my hope is in God. He is the reason I have life, and He is the reason I renew my faith as I walk this journey, albeit short. As each week passes this year and I look back, I want to know that each event in my life was planned by God and I want to use each moment as an opportunity to prove my hope is in Him. My significance in life is found in my spiritual walk with God.

God has placed us here for a reason; to give Him worship and glory. Use the events in your life as an opportunity to represent God, and live each day as if it is your last. Tell someone that you love them, deal with areas of sin, and definitely, tell someone about Jesus.

Lord, instead of feeling overwhelmed with our circumstances, may we feel overwhelmed with your presence in our circumstances. We want to bring you worship and glory - our hope is in You.

Janet Stutzman