By: Arnie Cole, Pamela Ovwigho, and Michael Ross
No one who hopes in you will ever be put to shame, but shame will come on those who are treacherous without cause. Show me your ways, LORD, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. Remember, LORD, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old.
Faith Quest
Read Job 18:1–21
What helps you to drive out hopelessness during troubled times?
Faith Trek
Misery. Despair. Darkness. Sin. Bildad now returned to the themes of his first speech, describing despair in graphic detail. He insisted that all suffering is the result of sin, and he seemed to prattle on endlessly about some of the ways the wicked are punished.
And as expected, Bildad’s advice continued to embitter Job. But since we’re on such a depressing subject, let’s look at the antidote—the ultimate Source of hope for the hopeless. Flip back to Genesis 3 and you’ll find the beginning of misery—and hope. The story moves from sin and evil to shame and cover-up, broken fellowship, erected barriers, attack on God, flight from God. It’s the story of the fall, out of which C. S. Lewis says “has come nearly all that we call human history—money, poverty, ambition, war, prostitution, classes, empire, slavery—the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God that will make him happy.”
Yet the story of the fall is also one of grace—God’s grace—and hope. It’s the hope that began when God broke our unholy alliance with the devil and put hostility between him and us. Misery is still with us. But the time is getting shorter and the hope is getting brighter.
Do these truths give you hope?
Take a moment to turn your attention to Jerusalem—an ancient city that is literally the “crossroads of life.” It’s the place where you can walk in the footsteps of Jesus and, at the same time, witness a chaotic culture that’s torn apart by political and religious disagreements. It’s a place of extreme joy—and misery.
As you soak in Israel’s many sights, you can’t help being reminded of an awesome truth: while the glory of this world is fleeting and flawed by strife, true fulfillment can be found by knowing intimately, loving intensely, serving passionately, and trusting completely Jesus Christ. Eternal peace is at the core of God’s gift of salvation.
Just as it’s written in the book of Acts, Jesus will return to the Holy Land—the same place where He went up into heaven. A restored Israel is very close to the heart of God. It’s not only the restoration of a people to a land—but all people to their God. This is where misery ends and true fulfillment is found. This is what we all should be seeking.
Faith Tools
•Strive to choose hope—even in the midst of misery. After all, Christ died, defeating the power of death! And Christ rose. The grave couldn’t keep Him down. And neither can the grave hold “those who have fallen asleep in him” (1 Thessalonians 4:14).
•Don’t look to the world for true fulfillment. Instead, look to God. Isn’t it ironic that the “Holy Land” is one of the most chaotic regions of the world? Understand this: strong forces, based on ancient religious beliefs are at work in the Arab-Israeli struggle. Yet there is hope even today for the troubled Middle East, as well as the entire world. Every one of Abraham’s children—Arab, Jew, and Gentile alike—has the same opportunity to receive God’s gift of eternal life offered in His chosen Messiah.
•PRAY: “Please restore my hope in You, Lord Jesus—especially during those times when all I see is misery and all I feel is despair.” Ask Jesus to send you the encouragement you need right when you need it most.
Notes for Growth
A Key Point I Learned Today:
How I Want to Grow:
My Prayer List:
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