Enduring Hope: Trusting God When the Future Is UncertainSample

Remember, Study, Proclaim

Read: Psalm 136

SOAP: Psalm 136:23–26

To the one who remembered us when we were down, for his loyal love endures, and snatched us away from our enemies, for his loyal love endures, to the one who gives food to all living things, for his loyal love endures. Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his loyal love endures!

Into the Text

Our hope is constantly being tested, both by the enemy and by God. The enemy will test our hope by telling us lies. If he can get us to believe that the world will satisfy us, he’ll do all he can to get us to put our hope in what it offers. For if our hope is in something other than God, it will fail. When we realize that everything we put our hope in fails us, we might give up and believe that any hope at all is worthless.

On the contrary, when God tests our hope He gives us opportunities to grow. He is patient with us and helps us when we fail. God knows our tendency to give in to fear or to put our hope in something other than Him. That’s why He has given us His Word, His Holy Spirit, and a Christian community to help us endure in hope.

Hope is the confidence to wait on God when we cannot see the future. Hope encourages us to wait for God’s wisdom and God’s action. But developing such hope also takes practice and discipline. We need to know and be convinced of God’s character for our hope to remain grounded in Him.

Psalm 136 shows us how to practice hope. First, we remember His deeds. We remember what God has done because it reminds us of what God is able and willing to do. Remembering His past faithfulness gives us confidence in His future faithfulness. Next, we study His character. We study God’s Word to find out who He is. The psalmist recalls God’s faithful dealings with His people in the past and in doing so discovers who God is. Finally, we proclaim His goodness. Whether we’re in seasons of loss or abundance, we can proclaim God’s goodness. Proclaiming His character increases our confidence in who He is and shows those around us what living by faith looks like.

This is how we practice our hope: remember His deeds, study His character, and proclaim His goodness. As we do, He will increase our confidence as we wait on Him for good things, both in this life and in eternity with Him in heaven. He has promised good things to us.