At various times in our life we will look for sources in which to place hope. Your Creator God and Heavenly Father wants you to get to the place where you place your total trust in Him. We may have various needs, but our faith cannot be in those things; or for that matter, in the people we think can provide those things or any other ways and means of obtaining our answers; just God. So how can God’s Word strengthen us?
No king is saved by the multitude of an army;
A mighty man is not delivered by great strength.
A horse is a vain hope for safety;
Neither shall it deliver any by its great strength.Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him,
On those who hope in His mercy,
To deliver their soul from death,
And to keep them alive in famine.Our soul waits for the LORD;
He is our help and our shield.
For our heart shall rejoice in Him,
Because we have trusted in His holy name.
Let Your mercy, O LORD, be upon us,
Just as we hope in You.”
(Psalm 33:16-22)
RELEVANCE
We can place our trust in a person, place or position, but eventually we will learn that our true source of hope is God. So in regards to that, over the years, I have been associated with some notable people and have held some honorable positions. Because those people and positions gave me a greater measure of hope than warranted, I consequently learned the hard way that anything or anybody in which we place hope before God will prove to bring disappointment, and sometimes even great pain.
Therefore, we must truly realize that God is a jealous God. He allows no man to share His glory. People like to put their hope in other people or positions. While that provides a measure of comfort, we must look beyond people and look to God. While God works through people, positions and resources, as Creator and Redeemer, He can be our only source in which we place our trust and hope.
Hence it is wise to keep our eyes, heart and mind focused on the LORD. Therefore, David, emphasized this point in his Psalms. Paul also referenced this concept in discussing the issue of man’s greatest problem; focusing on “the creature rather than the Creator” (Romans 1:25).
REFLECT AND RELATE
Think of times when you put your trust and hope in people or circumstances. What did you learn? Looking forward, evaluate the source of your hope. As you re-direct your focus and prayers, look for God to meet your needs. Then be sure to give Him ALL the glory.