Hope is supposed to feel good, at least that’s what I’ve always thought. It should make me feel all warm and fuzzy, right? As of recent days, hope has not been a good feeling.
Over the summer, I was on a retreat with many of my amazing sisters here at (in)courage and a discussion arose with a few of them over lunch. We all seemed to be in some sort of transition dealing with housing. There were prayer requests surrounding selling houses and buying houses and what to do when you find your dream house and it falls through. Someone said, “Hope is dangerous.” That just about knocked me over! I haven’t been able to shake that thought. It is! Hope is completely dangerous! Somehow, I think God likes it that way.
There is often a misconception that whenever we commit our lives to Christ, all of our problems disappear. I am the poster child for the opposite. My problems didn’t disappear. Sometimes they were worse. I, too, am in a housing transition. I am wading my way through options of whether to stay or go. I have no direction, no peace either way. I’ve never been in this position before. Normally, I have some sort of leaning toward one option or another. I begin to move forward and God either opens doors or He closes them. This time . . . nothing. I’m at a loss!
I have been in the position before of having none of my options work out for me. I’ve been in situations where it seemed as though the Lord completely forgot about me. I have been hurt and confused and even angry at God. Those are not enjoyable emotions either.
So, here I am again. My circumstances may come as a surprise to me but they are not a surprise to God. But, I want this time to be different. I want my faith stirred up despite past let downs. I want to focus on His past faithfulness to me. I want to use wisdom and do what I can do.
Mostly, I want to lean into this dangerous hope and . . .
Trust that God is a loving Father.
“If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” {Matthew 7:11}
No one wants to admit that they believe God will disappoint them. We want to believe that He will come through. We want to believe that He is good. His Word says that He is. And His Word can be trusted. His character can be trusted. When we ask in Jesus’ name, God delights in answering our prayers. Only, He doesn’t always answer how we think He should answer. I think I have great ideas about how my life should go. I think I know what is best, but then I remember that He knows better. He knows the end from the beginning. He knows what outcome will bring about His purposes. He wants to bless us with good things . . . health, wholeness, peace, joy, rest, and even natural provision.
Trust in the mystery of God.
“The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.” {Deuteronomy 29:29}
There are countless things about God that I will never know on this side of eternity and I have to learn to be okay with that. Beth Moore once said, “God is just as intentional about what He keeps hidden from us as He is about what He reveals to us.” YES! When I pray and I feel as though He is silent or not letting me in on the game plan, I have to trust that there is purpose to what He hasn’t told me. He doesn’t hide things from us to hurt us. God is always our protector and shield. He will allow me in on His plans in His perfect timing.
Trust in the sovereignty of God.
“He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” {Colossians 1:17}
This verse absolutely calms my spirit. It’s very much an anchor of truth for my soul. Father God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit have always been and will always be. Nothing happens to us that doesn’t first go through His sovereign hands. That should impact our perspective on both the good and hard seasons in our lives. It all matters to Him. He cares about it all and longs to move in power in it all. God does not control us or circumstances, but He does allow circumstances and consequences to come.
May you and I take note of Abraham’s faith . . .
“Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be.'” {Romans 4:18}
He had hope despite what he felt or what his circumstances or the voices of others told him. He stood firm on what God had promised and trusted in the goodness, mystery, and sovereignty of God. Because he did, he saw the promises of God fulfilled in His life.
In what area of your life has it felt dangerous to hope?
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Karina,
First, praying for you that you would know, even if God seems silent, He is at work. Trust Love’s heart for you. Praying for the enabling power that you could hang on to that dangerous hope. For many years in an emotionally and abusive marriage, there always lingered a hope that someone would love me just for who I am. I would have never dreamed that at 50 something I would be getting married to a godly man with integrity who loves and cherishes me. I don’t know why exactly I had to wait so long in the desert, but I trust God’s timing and perseverance produces character, and character, hope and that hope never disappoints. That is His promise to us. Over and over again He has proved His faithfulness…He is there for you too! Loved this honest post…
Blessings sweet Karina,
Bev
That is such an inspiring story. So happy for you. What a blessing
Thank you Bev! That is a beautiful testimony of how God loves to bring beauty from ashes. He is all kinds of good to us!
I thought God had bought a particular male friend into my life that he was going to be my husband. I thought I had heard God on this a number of times. I had hope, against hope. I feel I am very mistaken now.
I’m sorry for what you’ve been through, and how it left you feeling. I pray that God will lead you on straight paths to be able to clarify and understand His purpose for allowing that to come into your life. I understand how something like that can shake your faith to the core. Continue to trust Him and He will show you His plan, in His time.
That’s hard Louise, to feel certain of something and then to not feel certain of it. I just try to go back to God knowing best and Him knowing all that I can’t see. Praying for clarity and direction for you.
Louise,
Praying for you now! God has plans for you. Perhaps He is molding you into the woman He wants you to be and your future mate into the man he should be. I pray for clarity of vision and hearing. May God send peace and contentment into you mind, body and soul!
Karina, I am also waiting to hear about a house. I was in the process of buying my chidhood home and i panicked. it then was sold. I am stronger now and I am suffering from deep heartache from it. I ask GOD to reveal to me what I should do. I continue to pray for it to return to me. He is silent and it wounds me deeply that I failed to buy it. I pray that I hear from Him and I also will pray you do too.
Wow! Marianne, that’s a lot! I am praying for your heart. May God come in and bring a deep peace to your soul. There is no guilt or condemnation in Christ. May you feel His complete freedom. May He bring wisdom and discernment. And may you be obedient to His leading.
I feel God does not give second chances.. Thank you for your prayers
But He does! And even better, He gives 3rd and 4th and 5th, etc… chances. Whenever we come to Him in humility and with a pure heart, He gives another chance. It may not look like we want it to look but He is always doing something new.
He is awfully quiet and I fear that I messed up.i had the chance but was afraid. It is very hard to Be still and Trust
Praying for His peace and direction to invade your life. Hold on to hope!
Thank you Karina, I will hold on to Hope. God bless you
Marianne,
God gives second and third chances. Remember the Israelites? They turned from God a lot and each time they would pray and He would forgive them. He will do the same for you! He love you to much to let you go! He will make His perfect plans known in His timing!
Thank You. I needed to hear that. I let my dream go and have felt terrible since then. I have had no peace
Marianne,
So sorry you went through all that! Prayers for God to help relieve the deep heartache and bring a peace to you mind, body and soul!!
May God reveal His plans for you! I pray He sends knowledge and wisdom on what your next move is.
(((hugs)))
Karina
So needed this today. I have had much loss in various forms the past two years and am trying to hope but tend to hold back bracing for what might be next. Thank you.
I understand Kathleen! I had an amazing 2014 but kept waiting for the other shoe to drop because my normal life seems to have lots of transitions and loss. I am praying that God’s great peace washes over you. May He restore to you a hundred fold what has been lost. He is good and loves you. Hold onto to the very essence of hope…Jesus. He will not fail or disappoint. He has purpose and destiny awaiting you. Lean in to His perfect plan.
Karina, Thank you so much for your kind words and prayers. Your are full of grace and hope. I will learn to lean in to His perfect plan, instead of gripping the handrail of the past. God Bless you!
Thank you! Blessings to you!
Love this! Thanks for the reminder that we were made to hope!
You are so welcome Karmen! I always need this reminder!
I am dealing with a very difficult co-worker who is angry most everyday and takes out his anger on us by way of verbal assaults. My administration is doing all they can to reprimand him, but being a California public school teacher means a long process of documentation and remediation. My hope is in him finding other work or the district deeming him unfit to teach but that hope is dangerous as I know how difficult it can be to remove an established teacher. Please pray that God will intercede, that no student nor employee feels this man’s wrath, and that we may find peace.
Lord, I thank You for your love and grace. Protect us and intercede on our behalf. I hope for the best but know it is all in Your hands. Bless us—bless this community of women.
Jessica, I am praying that all that is done in the dark would be brought into the light. May God come in power and might. He is your defender and protector. He will bring about His perfect justice in His perfect timing. He is true to His Word. He will move on your behalf. May you feel His peace and hope like never before.
Jessica,
Prayers for God to bring to light all that is being done! I pray He comes and bring justice quickly! May His peace surround you body mind and soul! Have faith and pray hard and know that He will work on your behalf in His perfect timing!
(((hugs)))
This blew me away. For quite a while now I have been on my knees praying for what I cannot yet see in some members of my family, and I start out by saying “God, this is against all hope, but……” and I launch into the 180 degree turns I want to see God have some people make as I remember that verse about Abraham. To read your post was so encouraging, and then when I got to the end and you actually used that verse, well, it about took my breath away. While I haven’t been asking God for a “sign”, I have been asking Him to let me see some evidence of His movement in this dream of mine. Then I read this today. God’s timing is so miraculous and perfect, and this has so inspired me to keep on envisioning my family the way I want it to be; pray for it, dream about it, work toward it, and remember that God has answered even the most crazy prayers, against all hope.
Beth! You got me all fired up! The Holy Spirit is faithful to bring confirmations when we need it! I love this!
Keep dreaming sister! God is not done with you or your family! He has greatness in store for each of you. He has purpose ahead to grow y’all and further His Kingdom.
I can’t wait to see how His plans unfold in your life!!! I’m expectant!!!!
Thank you!!!
I, too, have a difficult family situation. My sister seems offended by my work in clearing out our Mom’s home for putting on the market, saying “I gave her things away.” After many months of silence due to her demand that I not contact her or her children, I finally wrote a note to her. I told her of the amount of items that were saved for her and the other items that were too old, broken down and not of use that had to be given away or put in the dumpster. I felt hopeless to redeem this relationship, but just yesterday sent her a card, ending it with Ephesians 4:32 about forgiving one another just as God in Christ forgave us.” My hope on a scale of 1-10, (10 being the highest) was at a -1. Yet your article resurrected my hope and I am claiming my sister’s return to a positive relationship at a 5 on the hope scale. Thank you for you encouraging words. Hope is indeed dangerous but it can lead us into the arms of God for His promises are always to be trusted.
Yes, Kathy! That is it! Embrace the dangerous hope. Good things await you!
Kathy,
Prayers for a renewed relationship and forgiveness from you sister! Embrace the hope that only God can bring to you! I believe in faith that she will come around!
(((hugs)))
Keep believing and hoping – God put that dream of a 5 on the hope scale into your heart for a reason. He may surprise you when one day you find it’s at a 10!
Thank you for this post. It has resonate deeply with me. I have dangerous hope that God would restore my friendship with Mark.
Having this kind of hope is very scary. Sometimes I feel that God will not answer, that He would just ignore my prayer. But I know that’s not the way my God operates. I believe He is doing something cause He sends me encouragement of some kind so I will hold on and not give up! Your post today is another one of His encouragement.
So I pray, God help me to hold on and not give up!
Bev, I love your story. Congratulations and blessings! It’s all in God’s perfect timing so I choose to trust His timing for me. He is faithful!
So let us all lean in on God our Saviour who loves us with and everlasting and unfailing love. Keep praying; asking, seeking and knocking. Don’t give up. Keep hoping. God’s Word says hope does not disappoint.
Blessings my sisters!
I love your hopeful spirit! It shines through your writing. Thanks. You’ve encouraged me today and made me smile!
Thanks Joanne for your encouragement. Keep praying!! I wait for God’s timing and I will not give up.. Blessings to you my friend
Yes thank you Karina and Joanne for your encouraging posts.I too had great disappointment. Seven days before our house was to close everything fell through and God seems silent.
I wonder why after God brought us so far in the selling of our home that He would allow this to happen. I will still trust in the Lord and lean on my own understanding because He knows whats best but it is hard thing to do.
Amen and Amen!
Joanne, praise God for His encouragement!!!! God is faithful to answer prayers. It may not be answered the way you are expecting but He will answer. He hears you. He sees you. He cares about the things that make your heart hurt and the things that make your heart happy. Hold fast to hope! His name is Jesus. And He loves you!
Karina,
I have hope, but the waiting is very hard with my prodigal daughter and the life she is leading. Hope for our boys to heal after their early trauma, and my husband’s body to be healed, and since we are going to be in our 70’s when our boys graduate from college, the money to hold out. I have not arrived, not even remotely close. But I have learned to know the externals are not the complete story, the behind scenes battle is constantly going on, and the working out the twists and turns to come to the point where God is doing what He said He would do and His Word is reality. I know His will is not a straight beeline, but corners, turns, dark, light, shadowy, foggy, unable to see, and sometimes a straight-line are all the journey. It’s already done in His mind in the heavenlies, earth and time have to catch up.
Speaking more to myself, and the timing is very good for your devotion today.
Grace and Peace,
Joanne
Praise God for this encouragement for you Joanne! Yes, I wish His will was a straight line. Those twists and turns and dark moments sure do catch me off guard. Yet, I will trust and praise Him! Praying that for you as well. May He give you a persevering spirit and a big faith to believe Him for the greater things…restoration, healing, and an abundant provision. He is good and trustworthy and loves you deeply.
I love this. Beautifully put, Joanne.
Oh friend… I love you so and I am praying for you still – trusting that even in His silence, He is working things out for your good! Hope against hope.. it IS dangerous – but it is also oh so powerful! I am holding on to hope for some big things too… the Good News is, of course, He never disappoints and He will never leave us or forsake us! (It’s just that sometimes that is hard to feel or see or remember!) 😉 Praying He reveals a bit of what He is up to for you, my friend!
Thank you friend! I receive it! And pray that over your life as well! I LOVE you and am so grateful for your friendship.
Karina,
I have never thought of hope in that light before, as being dangerous. You have made some good points here and I appreciate them. Hope is something I have always had. But it has not always worked out and at those times I trust the Lord knows best just as He does they do.
Thank-you for your post,
Penny
when they do (sorry for the error)
Karina, I’ve never thought of hope like that either! Let’s see… it’s felt dangerous to hope that God opens up opportunities for me to share my story. ‘Cause, what if He does? I’m finding out that then the power of the Lord is being revealed to many, and that means opposition from people and the enemy. Bringing glory to our God has been dangerous, but also a blessing. Thank you for sharing this story!
Love that Tricia! God is ridiculously faithful to give us dreams and to fulfill them. Trust in His equipping and timing. I pray you lean into the adventure of following Him. There are twists and turns but they are all for His glory and to further His Kingdom. Blessings to you!
Hope IS dangerous, and scary. I’ve been in a place where my life was stalled and I had zero direction for so long that I almost gave up and decided God didn’t want me to hope for anything, but to just accept whatever comes and not look forward to anything. But He slowly helped me to understand that that’s not what He wants at all — we can’t please Him if we don’t believe He rewards those who seek Him. Now I’m at a place where things are still moving at a snail’s pace and I’m not sure where He’s taking me, but He’s given me back the courage to hope for and expect great things. We just have to be patient and trust His timing.
Thanks for this. It was just what my soul needed this morning.
Amen Jean! Those words are perfection! May we continue to lean in to God’s purposes and timing and ways. He is good, faithful and sovereign. Be blessed sister!
Thank you Marianne! God’s gracious care to you my friend!
Romans 15:13
I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in Him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Amen!!!
Karina,
Prayers for discernment of God’s Will for you! May God bless you with wisdom and knowledge to make the right decisions!
Hope can be a dangerous thing, but something God wants us to embrace! We must have faith that He will work on our behalf! I am awaiting a clear voice from God as to when and if I should go back to work. I quit my last job June this year to help assist in my aging father’s care. We had to put him on hospice and now he seems to be doing much better. Today (9/10/15) he will celebrate his 90th birthday! I am also available to assist with my in-laws health issues.
Psalm 147:11 the LORD delights1 in those who fear him,2 who put their hope in his unfailing love.
Blessings 🙂
Amen Beth! Praying for direction and discernment for you as well! He is faithful! lean into His rest.
Well, reading this brought on the ugly tears. I’m experiencing what I fear is the beginning of a miscarriage and am at home today with nothing better than instructions to “wait and see.”
Hope IS dangerous. And raw. And what I need.
Oh sweet Jacque! I am so sorry! ((HUGS))
Jesus, you are our healer and mender of broken things. I speak life to Jacque’s baby. He or she will live and not die. I speak to everything that is not sustaining life to be healed and whole in Jesus’s name. You are the God of hope. May she cling to you. May she rest in Your arms. Whisper Your promises and peace to her heart. May she stand on what she knows to be true and not on emotions or outside voices. You are her refuge and strength. We trust You and love you in Jesus’ name! Amen!
Hope is not only dangerous, it can hurt. How do you wait with expectancy, as we are charged to, for years? I don’t want to admit I’m fearful God wont come through for me. I know that is a lie. His Word says I won’t be ashamed when I wait for Him and I know his word is true. The hoping and waiting and clinging to His words have me very weary and my joy is suffering.
Miriam, I’m so sorry it took me so long to respond! I am just in a place where I am doing what I know to do and just waiting until I hear Him clearly. It’s not fun. It hurts. There have been a lot of tears. His Word never changes. His promises are trustworthy. Keep holding onto hope. His name is Jesus. There is a miracle coming!
I agree with you. It is heartbreaking and wearS down your body and soul. What is the time limit on waiting??? If you cannot discern His voice. Then when is hope gone?
Marianne, thanks for sharing.
There is no time limit on waiting. I wish there was! We wait until He responds. He always does. It just may not be in our timing or the way that we planned. Hope’s name is Jesus and He never goes away. He is faithful!
Thank you for this article. I have read it several times and shared it with a friend because it speaks to me greatly.
I have had no direction for a long time and I wonder whether God really does hear my prayers. I work for my husband and for several months now I have not been paid. This is despite us having 3 children ranging from 11years to 5months. He still expects me to meet my budget and raise his children with no finances. I have prayed for a job and for God to give me direction but I feel like my prayers do not go past the ceiling.
The article has reminded me that God does move even in the dark and the silence. And I will pray for patience and his will to be done. No matter how painful this is and my heartbreak.
Thank you for all the sisters who have shared. God bless you abundantly.
Emma! Thank you for sharing! I am so glad that this post blessed you.
It is hard having no direction but remembering that God is always at work brings such peace. He is loving and patient. It is His joy to meet your every need.
I am praying for God to come in and bring wisdom, direction and discernment. May He open doors into His perfect plan in His perfect timing. He will not fail you. He is all kinds of faithful! May He provide in the most beautiful and unexpected ways. He is your joy and the mender of your heart.
I love the Lord’s timing of reading this. And while I have struggled in many areas and had my faith and trust in Him stretched before, how poignant that one of your current (while writing) struggles was housing. Almost 2 years ago my family of 6 (soon to be 7) moved to land and began living in an 18-wheeler-turned-home on the property. We have plans to build our own home and have been waiting for our previous home to sell to be able to move forward with building. We had saved enough to begin building and planned to do that 2 weeks ago until we had a huge curveball knocking out 70% of our savings and leaving us grieving instead of getting our building permit. This past weekend I attended a women’s conference and, through song and the Holy Spirit, was asked by my sweet Jesus if I truly would rather have Jesus than ANYTHING…I am working on my heart submitting to that and waiting on the Lord’s timing to reveal His power and perfection. Thank you for sharing! I hope you have had some sweet time with your Savior and you enjoy His presence.
His timing is always perfect!!!!
That sounds like a lot to deal with Lizbeth! Praying for some supernatural provision and leading. He is faithful and will not disappoint. Keep leaning on Him and into His presence. He is good and loving.