Suffering - Pt. 5

 

The king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength. The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue. Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love, that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine. Our soul waits for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us, even as we hope in you. (Psalm 33:16-22 ESV).

 

Yesterday I mentioned my time of stillness during the hospital stays of the last three years. Today I want to center our attention on “hope.” You may remember that I had cancer surgery in 2014. Each year as I returned to the oncologist I “hoped” for a report that the cancer was gone. Still, almost nine years later, I continue to hope for the doctor to tell me that my lab report shows the results of “undetectable” in regard to the cancer. When I say, “I hope my cancer doesn’t come back again,” it’s both a wish and a prayer. But when I say, “God gives me hope for the future,” that is confident assurance in the promises of the God who has never failed me.

 

The picture I’ve included today is of the eruption of “Old Faithful.” It is one of the most viewed scenes in Yellowstone National Park. We got our seats along the edge, a safe distance away and simply waited for the eruption. The incredible thing was that it was right on time, as it has been for decades. Of course, this is the reason for the name of the geyser. As faithful as it is, it cannot compare with the absolute faithfulness of God. He is always on time with the perfect answer to our every need.

 

For the people of God, hope is drawn from a deeper well. As the psalmist explains, we cannot rely on our own armies and horses—our own resources—to deliver us. The beautiful image is that of the God whose eyes are locked on us, whose love never fails, who is our help and shield. God paints a positive picture of our forever future. When our hope and trust are firmly connected to our unchangeable God, we know deep in our souls that God’s love will sustain us through this life and into eternity. This means that even if our struggles return, our hope in God remains. This is the sustaining thought to capture us in the midst of our suffering. He is The Faithful One!