Please, Get Your Hopes Up!

↔

“Don’t get your hopes up!”

In my opinion this is one of the most over-used cliche phrases in America. How many times have you heard that said before? Has anyone ever said that to you? How did you react? After thinking about it for a while this scenario popped into my mind.. In the movies, the person who this line is usually said to tends to have a sudden change in demeanor and lowers their head as they walk away from their dreams. More often than not that seems to be the case when it comes to the big screen. Sad, isn’t it? Stunning how one short phrase can crush so many people’s hopes and dreams. It’s not so much the sentence itself but the heart behind the words. Sometimes those who use this phrase are the exact ones who have had their hopes squashed and they’re dreams deflated by the crude reality of the world. Or then again, maybe someone told them not to get their hopes up?

This phrase, “don’t get your hopes up”, has been stirring in my heart and mind for a while now. I just find it interesting, the whole idea that a single phrase can influence whether a person will choose to have high expectations in life or possibly none at all. While thinking about all this it made me realize how powerful hope can be. Of course, probably just like you, I know the gist of what hope is. I truly believe the Word of the Lord and i genuinely follow Christ. I’m in love with Jesus and all my hope is in God. It’s all true. I’m realizing more and more that somewhere down the road we’ve allowed great things like hope, joy, peace, happiness, faith, love, etc, to become mere words in our vocabulary. (In saying this, i don’t mean to throw a rock at anyone or tell you you’ve done something that you haven’t. If you haven’t, that’s wonderful! Honestly, I have found myself guilty of this as well.) There is so much more behind these gifts from God than just nice feelings attached to comforting words. They are more than just words painted on the plaques that hang on our walls.

“Hope fills the afflicted soul with such inward joy and consolation, that it can laugh while tears are in the eye, sigh and sing all in a breath; it is called; The rejoicing of hope – Hebrews 3:6.” William Gurnall

“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.” Hellen Keller

“This hope we have as an anchor for our soul, always sure and steadfast.” I just love that. God offers a hope that anchors my soul-your soul! God promises us hope with stability and confidence in an otherwise unstable situation. Life isn’t always stable and it’s often very hard for people to have confidence while going through those unstable waves. But just think, what if they knew they could have this stable confident hope like we have? What if they tasted of this gift of hope that Christ has to give? I wonder what they would do. What would you do? Think of something that you could only accomplish if you had a promise for stability and confidence to help you conquer anything.. No fear, just a hope that helps you step out into risk. What’s one thing you would do?

Would you like to know what I think? (Whether you do or don’t, oh well, I have the “mic” or technically the keyboard. Being that this is my blog. Oh the joys! lol)

I think you should take that one thing to the Lord and then I think you should go
do that one thing. Because, “We have this hope as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul. It cannot slip and it cannot break down under whoever steps out upon it–a hope that reaches farther and enters into the very certainty of the Presence within the veil,” {Hebrews 6:19 AMP} Go for it! Start building an orphanage in another country, open the business of your dreams, tell everyone who will listen about the love of God, start a small group, go back to college, start a blog, write a book or ten, make an effort to love people more, fill stadiums with worship, or spend four hours a day in prayer. Whatever it is-you can do it.

Hope – The joyful expectation for good, from God.

My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. My hope is founded upon the blood of Christ. The same blood that cleansed me of my sin. The blood that’s washed away our past and made a new slate for our future. Sounds pretty solid to me and All other ground is sinking sand. I understand why someone who isn’t walking with God wouldn’t want to get their hopes up. There hope isn’t in Christ since they are not following Him, so if their hope’s not in Him it’s in the world. That alone is deffinitely not promising. But God is. When our hope is in God why would we dare not get our hopes up?

Love hopes all things.
Gods is love.
We’re in love with God.
The God of all hope.

I say it’s about time we get our hopes up. What do we have to loose? That’s right, great answer.. Nothing. “Oh but what if what I hope for doesn’t happen?” A great thing to take into consideration each time this, or a question like this, pops into our head is to also ask ourselves how we are viewing God in that particular situation or area of life. It’s always good to make sure that we haven’t fooled ourselves into thinking that God is a “genie in a bottle” type God. We’re not playing a wishing game with Him. This is a lifestyle. A lifestyle where we continually learn to trust God, build our faith, praise Him for His faithfulness, and constantly get our hopes up.

Back to that “what if” question. I genuinely hope that we aren’t willing to rob ourselves and those around us of the opportunity to see God move and be seen faithful because we’ve had some small thought/doubt that it may not happen.. I get it, I really do. Life isn’t always fair. Life doesn’t always turn out like we plan. Things happen that we wish wouldn’t have. But placing your hope in God is nothing like tossing a coin in a wishing well. Think about it.. Picture a wishing well or a water fountain full of coins. We have a big one in the center of our shopping mall. Would you like to know what it’s filled with? First, I’ll tell you what it isn’t filled with. It’s not filled with faith, hundred dollar bills, blood, sweat or tears. Nope. That fountain is filled with pennies. Maybe there are a few dimes and nickels, but it’s mostly pennies. Why pennies? Because they’re cheap, you rarely use pennies anymore, and you probably won’t miss it when what you wished for doesn’t come true and you never see that penny again.. When was the last time you bought anything for just a penny? Then why would we offer (to a fountain none the less) a penny for our “dream come true’s”?

“Hope is called the anchor of the soul (Hebrews 6:19), because it gives stability to the Christian life. But hope is not simply a ‘wish’ (I wish that such-and-such would take place); rather, it is that which latches on to the certainty of the promises of the future that God has made.” R.C. Sprouls

Let me ask you another question.
Are your hopes worth a penny?
Are your dreams worth one cent?

Mine are worth so much more than a penny.

He who promised is also able to perform it.
He will perform that which concerns me.

When it comes to hope, it’s crucial that we never approach God as if He is a “wishing fountain” or a “genie in a bottle”. He’s not a man-made waterfall you can toss a coin in and cast your hopeless wish into the waters and walk away. God is faithful and it’s His joy and pleasure to spend His time making our hopes and dreams come true. He longs for you To see Him in His fullness and He’s willing to go the lengths it will take for you to know how good of a God He really is. Abandon all fear and get your hopes up. Dare to trust God when He said He would give you the desires of your heart. Build your hopes up.

The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, In those who hope in His mercy. (Psalms 147:11 NKJV)

What are some things you are hoping for?
Right now think of at least five things.

Would you pay a penny to see those things come to pass? I’m sure you’d be willing to pay a much greater price for your dreams than simply a penny thrown in a fountain. Count the cost and pay the price of putting all your hope in God. Dwell on His faithfulness and get your hopes up. Fully surrender to him those five things and continually have hope in the God who has never stopped doing great things.

Imagine someone walks up to you and tells you that they will do all that they possibly can to make your dreams come true. The only, for lack of a better word, “catch” is that it will cost you. Seeing your dreams come to pass will cost you this, you will have to give your all. You’ll need to put all your hope in the person who’s making this promise. You’ll have to have high expectations and great faith. With that being said, upon accepting this gift of fulfilled dreams and expectations met, would you offer that person a penny? The good thing is, Jesus doesn’t want your pennies. He wants your life. He wants your faith, trust, and hope to be rooted in Him. If our hope is in Christ then we must fulfill our end of the deal and have high hopes. Don’t listen to the world.. When it comes to hope, listen to the One who knows what He’s talking about and who hope itself comes from. On behalf of every person out there who has ever told you to not get your hopes up, I apologize. God gives us full permission and authority to get our hopes up. We get to hope in the only god that doesn’t disappoint, the One True Living God. He always comes through. He always does what He says. And He will always love you like crazy! He is eager to make your dreams come true. So, here it is..

Save your pennies.
Do yourself and God a favor and please GET YOUR HOPES UP!

↔

But I will hope continually, And will praise You yet more and more. (Psalms 71:14 NKJV)

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord , And whose hope is the Lord . (Jeremiah 17:7 NKJV)

But this I recall and therefore have I hope and expectation: It is because of the Lord’s mercy and loving-kindness that we are not consumed, because His [tender] compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great and abundant is Your stability and faithfulness. The Lord is my portion or share, says my living being (my inner self); therefore will I hope in Him and wait expectantly for Him. The Lord is good to those who wait hopefully and expectantly for Him, to those who seek Him [inquire of and for Him and require Him by right of necessity and on the authority of God’s word]. (Lamentations 3:21-25 AMP)

For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance. (Romans 8:24, 25 NKJV)

Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, All you who hope in the Lord . (Psalms 31:24 NKJV)

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13 NKJV)

This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, (Hebrews 6:19 NKJV)

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. (Hebrews 10:23 NKJV)

Jesus, knowing they were out to get him, moved on. A lot of people followed him, and he healed them all. He also cautioned them to keep it quiet, following guidelines set down by Isaiah: Look well at my handpicked servant; I love him so much, take such delight in him. I’ve placed my Spirit on him; he’ll decree justice to the nations. But he won’t yell, won’t raise his voice; there’ll be no commotion in the streets. He won’t walk over anyone’s feelings, won’t push you into a corner. Before you know it, his justice will triumph; the mere sound of his name will signal hope, even among far-off unbelievers. (Matthew 12:15-21 MSG)

Read our short post on why I don’t give up and plan to have high expectations in God: {Don’t Grow Weary in Your Expectations}

About these ads