Hope on Hope

There are many, many items in my office and home that say “hope”.  Each one has a special memory attached to it as they are all gifts from people.  It’s fun having a name like mine.  So, I decided to a “Notes of Hope Devotion” on some of the passages in the Bible where “hope” is mentioned.  Using the Message version of the Bible, this could keep me busy for some time as it is used 144 times.  That is, if I do every one, andNow I have no excuse for lack of inspiration.

(Thank you, Annie Moss, for making this candle holder for me!)

Let’s begin at the beginning with Genesis 49: 18 that says: “I wait in hope for your salvation, God.”  An inspiring verse yet it seems so oddly placed in this chapter where Jacob is blessing the 12 tribes of Israel and saying some pretty interesting things about each before he takes his last breath.  This verse about hope comes almost in the middle of the chapter.  It seems to be a pause, as if Jacob took a deep breath before going on talking about the tribes to reassure himself and them that salvation comes from God and that is where we place our hope.  

Sometimes, often at times like we are living in which go from one extreme (shootings in Dallas, New Orleans and St. Pau) to the other (Pokemon! Go!), we need to pause, close our eyes and say this verse over and over again a few times.

I wait in hope for your salvation, God.

I wait in hope for your salvation, God.

I wait in hope for your salvation, God.

Give it a try when you have one of those days where you just shake your head at the world.  Pause as Jacob did.  Close your eyes.  Turn out the lights and repeat after me:

I wait in hope for your salvation, God.

I wait in hope for your salvation, God.

I wait in hope for your salvation, God.