Now HopeSample

Expectant hope sees wide open spaces

Romans 5:2-5 (MSG) We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand—out in the wide open spaces of God’s grace and glory […] In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit! [emphasis added]

As people created in the image of God, we are designed to dream big. Children are born with a sense of hope – a wide-eyed, expectant wonder. To them, the possibilities of this world seem endless. Unfortunately, before we realize it, life deals up things that we don’t expect, and hope can start to evaporate. 

I believe there’s a reason why Jesus told the disciples to be like little children (Matthew 18:3). Unfortunately, we can so easily lose that childlike approach to life – that belief that in God all things are possible. 

It’s pretty obvious when you meet someone who has lost their hope. Life never seems to change for them. Their focus narrows to simply getting through another day or season. They never look to plant seeds for a greater tomorrow. It’s just one foot in front of the other. 

Every one of us is faced with a choice of possible pathways in life. Will we simply survive, living out our time in an unremarkable way? Or will we commit to influence – and even change – the world around us? Sadly, if we fail to stir up hope, we can slip into merely ‘surviving’ or ‘living’ at maintenance levels. Our faith and hope end up on life support. 

Maybe it’s been a long time since you felt a sense of delighted, wide-eyed expectation – believing for something great. Well, can I ask you, when was the last time you simply thought about how vast God is? He has designed us to live in His fullness, free from every fear. A free, open and expanding life. He doesn’t call you to live in a box made up of previous disappointments. Instead, His hope empowers us to see beyond. 

I heard a story about a boy who was dying of cancer. He needed an expensive brain surgery, but his family was broke and couldn’t pay for it. His eight-year-old sister took her piggy bank to the local pharmacist in order to buy a miracle. It just so happened that there was a man in the pharmacy that day who witnessed her tears. That man was a neurosurgeon and he eventually performed the surgery for free. The sister’s plan may seem completely unfounded to us, but her expectant hope produced the harvest and miracle she was reaching out for. 

Next year could be another year where you just ‘survive’. Or, it could be a year where you see farther and wider than ever before. If you’re feeling like you’re only just getting through, can I encourage you that you were created for so much more? 

Psalm 27:14 (NKJV) tells us: ‘Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart …’ The word ‘wait’ in the original actually means ‘to lean in with expectation’. Today, prioritize having some personal time with God. Dream a fresh dream. If we hope with expectation, God will strengthen us. Wait on Him in the wide open space of his grace today.