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A few weeks ago at The Anvil we were talking about waiting.
As cliched as it may sound, we belong to a society that isn't used to waiting, and we seem to have forgotten what exactly it is.
Waiting doesn't mean doing nothing.
Waiting is preparing.
Waiting is making sure that there is space in your life for God to move.
Waiting requires the passage of time.
Waiting is a confident expectation.
The final thought, of waiting being a confident expectation, particularly stuck out to me.
When we read the word "wait", especially in the Old Testament, the original Hebrew can often be translated "hope" or "long for".
If we are to wait for something, surely we need to be certain of it? How then does hope come into the equation?
The answer is that the hope spoken about in the Bible is a far cry from the uncertain, unfounded optimism that we mean when we speak about hope.
When we talk about hope, we tend to mean things that we want to happen. We wish they would happen, but we can't be sure.
"I hope I don't miss Doctor Who"
"I hope my exam results are what I wanted"
"I hope my dog gets better"
We want them to happen. Sometimes we might really really want them to happen. But there are no guarantees.
But when God speaks of hope, and when we speak of hope in God, we do have a guarantee; God is at work.
The difficulty with hope is that it deals with things we can't see or haven't yet received, or both.
Romans 8:24-25 says;
"For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience."
Just because we hope for something in a human sense doesn't mean that it automatically becomes a godly hope. Just because we really really want to get 11 A*s for our GCSEs doesn't mean it's going to happen.
Worldly hope doesn't always convert to godly hope because the things we want aren't always the things that God has in mind.
Whether your hope is those perfect exam results or to have lost a few pounds next time you step on the weighing scales, you might not find that your hope has come true.
The hope that we do have though is so much better. The hope that we do have means that, even if you had an off day or you didn't revise or you lost your notes just before the exam, you haven't ruined God's plan for your life. Just because you haven't lost those few pounds doesn't mean that you are worthless. The hope you have is that God loves you, and God knows that your worth has nothing to do with your weight.
Put your trust in God and you will realise that the hope you have is not fleeting, impermanent or uncertain. It is forever and it is indestructible.
Remind yourself of God's promises. You might not find what you were hoping for, but you will find something a whole lot better.
Put your trust in God. Whilst you wait, know that God loves you. Know that God knows what is best for you. Know that God will not let you down.
Know that God keeps His promises.
