March 2001

[Part 101]

“Issues of the heart”

[Part Nineteen]

Hope For the Fearful Heart! [C]

                A heart without hope is hollow indeed; and with no blessed, eternal assurance to hope for, the future is bleak and terrifying. Most youth today are bereft of any hope for a certain, glorious outcome of all the world’s present miseries. The look of hopelessness is so clearly visible on their faces it is breaks one’s heart. Some 20 years ago my youngest daughter (then only 9 years old) was anointed of the Lord to set a melody to these heart-rending words from Lam 2:18-19.

“Arise, cry out in the night!
In the beginning of the watches
pour out thine heart like water
before the face of the Lord!

Arise, cry out in the night!
Lift up thy hands toward Him
for the life of thy young children
that faint in the top of every street!

Their heart cried unto the Lord,
‘Wall of the daughter of Zion,
let tears run down like water;
no rest give thyself day and night’!”

                Father has caused many sons, in recent years, to arise in the night in intercession for His hopeless ones. Is it any wonder that we strain at the leash (so to speak) to be sent forth to sow His Good Seed of HOPE into the darkened hearts of these lost lambs. The Spirit proclaims now,

“Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision; but the Day of the Lord is nearin the valley of decision!! The sun and moon shall be darkened; the stars will restrain all their light. But the Lord shall roar out of Zion and His Voice willthunder out of Jerusalem! The heavens and earth will also tremble! HoweverTHE LORD WILL BE THE HOPE OF HIS PEOPLE! And alsoHE SHALL BE THE STRENGTH OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL!! Then you will know I am the Lord your God; and I live in Zion My holy mountain! Jerusalem will be holy so strangers no more go through her!” (Joel 3:14-17)

                Heb 4268 translates hope, “TRUST, SHELTER, A PLACE OF REFUGE”. Its verb root (2620) means, “FLEE FOR PROTECTION; CONFIDE IN; MAKE AS A REFUGE; TRUST IN !” What a perfect depiction of how the walk of faith should be. What excuse have Kingdom believers who are chosen for adoption into sonship for losing hope in their King? We should be the most hopeful people on the face of the earth! So if our hope dims, it is the fault of our fleshy devil mind, the “Thief that comes to steal (Christ Faith), kill (Christ Hope) and destroy (Christ Love)! But our Savior says, ‘I am come that you should have LIFE, and have it more abundantly!” (Jn 10:10)
                Dict. defines hope, “Desire with the EXPECTATION OF FULFILLMENT!” God says, “Do not fret or strive about anything; but by prayer and supplication WITH THANKSGIVING tell Me your desires [Gk 155 “Petitions, pleas, requests, things you require]!” (Ph 4:6) The Dict. also defines hope, “Trust, reliance and something in which OUR DESIRES ARE CENTERED!” The hope of believers must be centered on Christ, not this flesh world! Hope that relies on receiving earthly desires is not hope at all! Our only true Hope is Christ in us! He says He will give us the desires of our hearts”(Ps 37:4); but in our best interests, He first causes our hearts to have only “One desire”. David identifies it, “I have only one desire that I seek of the Lord- to dwell in the House of the Lord all my life; to inquire in His Temple; and behold the Lord’s Beauty!” (Ps 27:4)

[TO BE CONTINUED]