Hope happens when we are waiting, but not just waiting. We have hope when there are expectations for the thing we are waiting on. Imagine a rope being pulled and stretched tight, almost to the point of breaking. That tension, that expectation of what is about to happen next, that Is the moment where hope enters. You know how that rope is going to snap when it is inevitably released. You have expectations built on previous knowledge or experience.

When we place our hope in God, we are looking backwards and seeing God’s past actions, which gives us assurance in his future faithfulness. In between past and future, that’s us. Here and now, we look to God with a waiting and expectant hope for the greatness he is sure to bring.

Psalm 25 is a poem of dependence on the Lord. The psalmist is looking to God’s character because he has shown Israel his salvation before, and now there are enemies who pose a threat. You can hear the tension in the voice of this writing. This didn’t come from a time of peace, but a time of anxiety. The psalmist chooses to wait on the Lord in their expectation. In other words, they have hope.

Psalms 25:1-5

[1] Lord, I appeal to you.
[2] My God, I trust in you.
Do not let me be disgraced;
do not let my enemies gloat over me.
[3] No one who waits for you will be disgraced;
those who act treacherously without cause
will be disgraced.
[4] Make your ways known to me, Lord;
teach me your paths.
[5] Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
I wait for you all day long.

This Psalm continues on for another 17 verses which recall God’s attributes in great detail. Instead of focusing on the dire situation that has led to the writing of this Psalm, the author instead chooses to turn their attention to God and wait on him to do whatever he is going to do.

What happens when a situation is so difficult that you can no longer see anything good coming out of this? What do you do when there is no longer a “bright side” or a “silver lining” to be seen? When a situation is so hurtful that there isn’t anything to be optimistic about?

Hope and Optimism are different. Optimism is about choosing to see a silver lining no matter how dark the rain cloud. Optimists weigh the odds and look for a chance that the situation can work out. Circumstances are limited to what is physically capable by a chain of events. You are stuck with the puzzle pieces that you have, and maybe the image those puzzle pieces can make is good, but maybe it isn’t. Relying on God’s character rather than on how the circumstances of the situation will play out is a powerful difference.

Hope does not look to the odds, hope looks backwards at the faithfulness of God, and trusts in his character. When we trust in God’s character, we can have confidence in any situation because we aren’t depending on things hopefully working out, probably being good in the end, maybe being at least okay? No. We know with all confidence that God will do what he says he will do because he has always kept his promises. Hope is bold.

Psalm 25 demonstrates a hope rooted in trust during a time of anxiety. Similarly, Psalm 130 reveals hope in God’s forgiveness and redemption, even in the depths of despair.

Psalms 130

[1] Out of the depths I call to you, Lord!
[2] Lord, listen to my voice;
let your ears be attentive
to my cry for help.
[3] Lord, if you kept an account of iniquities,
Lord, who could stand?
[4] But with you there is forgiveness,
so that you may be revered.
[5] I wait for the Lord; I wait
and put my hope in his word.
[6] I wait for the Lord
more than watchmen for the morning 
—
more than watchmen for the morning.
[7] Israel, put your hope in the Lord.
For there is faithful love with the Lord,
and with him is redemption in abundance.
[8] And he will redeem Israel from all its iniquities.

This Psalm, was written sometime during Israel’s captivity under the Babylonians. When you read it understanding that this was addressing a very literal need for Israel to be rescued from captivity, it’s meaning is rather obvious for the immediate need that they faced. When you understand that we are the new Israel, under the new covenant mediated by Christ in the heavenly throne room, this Psalm now has meaning for us.

Babylon represents the evil and deceit found in the world, and we were once captive by it and still need to live in a way that is wary of it. God has offered us forgiveness from the count of our iniquities through the death of Jesus so that we may praise his holy name forever. But now we are waiting and hoping for all of creation to be restored. We wait for freedom from sickness and decay, to be free from deceit, temptation, greed and hurt. We have received the promise of forgiveness already, but now we are being refined and purified. We are being made holy, more like Christ, so that one day we too can be a part of his eternal kingdom.

God is not trying to sort out the puzzle pieces of this broken earth, rather he is going to replace it with a new heaven and new earth, one in which he has promised us a place as his followers. This promise is what we have to look forward to when we feel stuck in those moments of tension. When it seems like everything around you is broken and dying, and there is no fixing it, you can put your hope in God’s character that he isn’t stuck with the present situation because he is making something completely new.

Reflections:

(I strongly recommend using a journal to actually write out prayers and answer questions. something about having to write it down really helps me complete the thought and be committed to it.)

• Take time today to reflect on God’s faithfulness in your life and the promises you’re waiting for. Write down one way you can live boldly in hope this week.
• When have you experienced the tension between waiting and trusting God? How did He show His faithfulness to you?
• What would it look like to place your hope fully in God’s character rather than your circumstances?
• How can the promise of a new heaven and earth shape the way you respond to brokenness in the world today?