02/26/2021 —  
Until we see God face to face, we are told in Scripture to engage in only three pursuits. That makes hope either the second or third most important aspect of life (see 1 Corinthians 13:12-13)!

Hope is essential to the functioning of the human soul. We can't live without it, and we can't achieve it on our own. It is a gift from God Almighty. Receive His gift of hope today!
Psalm 42

"I long to drink of you, O God,
drinking deeply from the streams of pleasure
flowing from your presence.
My longings overwhelm me for more of you!
My soul thirsts, pants, and longs for the living God.
I want to come and see the face of God.
Day and night my tears keep falling
and my heart keeps crying for your help
while my enemies mock me over and over, saying,
'Where is this God of yours? Why doesn't he help you?'
So I speak over my heartbroken soul,
'Take courage. Remember when you used to be
right out front leading the procession of praise
when the great crowd of worshipers
gathered to go into the presence of the Lord?
You shouted with joy as the sound of passionate celebration filled the air and the joyous multitude of lovers
honored the festival of the Lord!'
So then, my soul, why would you be depressed?
Why would you sink into despair?
Just keep hoping and waiting on God, your Savior.
For no matter what, I will still sing with praise,
for living before his face is my saving grace!
Here I am depressed and downcast.
Yet I will still remember you as I ponder the place
where your glory streams down from the mighty mountaintops, lofty and majestic--the mountains of your awesome presence.
My deep need calls out to the deep kindness of your love.
Your waterfall of weeping sent waves of sorrow
over my soul, carrying me away,
cascading over me like a thundering cataract.
Yet all day long God's promises of love pour over me.
Through the night I sing his songs,
for my prayer to God has become my life.
I will say to God, 'You are my mountain of strength;
how could you forget me?
Why must I suffer this vile oppression of my enemies--
these heartless tormentors who are out to kill me?'
Their wounding words pierce my heart
over and over while they say,
'Where is this God of yours?'
So I say to my soul,
'Don't be discouraged. Don't be disturbed.
For I know my God will break through for me.'
Then I'll have plenty of reasons to praise him all over again.
Yes, living before his face is my saving grace!" (TPT).

Psalm 130

"Lord, I cry out to you out of the depths of my despair!
Hear my voice, O God!
Answer this prayer and hear my plea for mercy.
Lord, if you measured us and marked us with our sins,
who would ever have their prayers answered?
But your forgiving love is what makes you so wonderful.
No wonder you are loved and worshiped!
This is why I wait upon you, expecting your breakthrough,
for your word brings me hope.
I long for you more than any watchman
would long for the morning light.
I will watch and wait for you, O God,
throughout the night.
O Israel, keep hoping, keep trusting,
and keep waiting on the Lord,
for he is tenderhearted, kind, and forgiving.
He has a thousand ways to set you free!
He himself will redeem you;
he will ransom you from the cruel slavery of your sins!" (TPT).

• The 17th century Bible commentator John Trapp said, "Hope thou in God. If ever evil be let loose from Pandora's box, yet there is hope at the bottom. God is unchangeable, His grace is the ground for unshakeable hope. If all is dark, yet the day will come, and in the meantime hope carries stars in her eyes."
• Hope is a favorable and confident expectation having to do with a future and yet unseen happy anticipation of good.
• Favor is that intangible factor that causes the banker to say "yes" to you when he or she should have said "no." Favor baptizes you in boldness and replaces the fear that formerly dominated your situation.
• Favor moves you to the front of the line, when you shouldn't even be in the line. Favor throws closed doors wide open and turns bad news into good news. Favor isn't fair, but you can thank God that it's free.
• In Scripture divine favor is demonstrated in the year of Jubilee, a time of supernatural release at the end of every 50th year. Jubilee is a set time when the free favors of God profusely abound.
• Jesus announced it in Luke 4, 18-19: "God's Spirit is on me; he's chosen me to preach the Message of good news to the poor, Sent me to announce pardon to prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, To set the burdened and battered free, to announce, 'This is God's time to shine'" (TPT).
• The word "anointed" speaks of favor. To anoint means to smear or to paint like a target. When you are anointed, you are literally painted with a fragrance that attracts the free favor of God. When you have hope, you attract God's favor.