Hope for the Broken hearted

Hope is a beautiful thing. The ability to hope is unique and wonderful and life-giving. When a person has hope, the natural ways of man fade and the supernatural becomes possible.

I am convinced with my every fiber that God -- and only God -- is the source of all hope and the creator therein. He tells us, “... hope does not disappoint.”

As Christians we have much to hope for. His promises are intense and wonderful. He does not lie. Therefore, our hope is not a ‘wish-i-may, wish-i-might.’ It’s a ‘Yes and Amen!’

That is exciting stuff!

When I think of hope... I’m reminded of a story I was told years ago. I may have some of my facts wrong... but the story is said to be true. So please indulge me this.

Scientists wanted to see if animals could hope. They devised a study and chose to use rats. (I’m all about rats being tested on, since they are about the nastiest creatures on the planet.)

They took a number of rats and put them in a container of water, the sides of which were slippery so they could not climb out.

Then they waited. It took something like 6 hours and 21 minutes for them to drown.

Then they took a new set of rats. They put them in the water and they swam. They swam and they swam... and they got tired. But just at the last moment --at 6 hours and 20 minutes -- they lowered a plank into the water. The rats scurried to safety and lived.

Then they put those same rats back in the water. And they swam. They swam and swam and swam. Six hours came and went. And they kept swimming. Six days came and went and ... would you believe it? They were still swimming. Why? Because they had hope. They had learned how to hope. They had something to live for. They knew that the plank would come and they would be saved.

In fact, those rats swam for over 21 days non-stop before they drown. Hope gave them the strength to swim 21 days when without it they would have lasted only 6 hours!

Often I look around and think, God you are taking so long. I don’t know if i can take much more of this. It’s hard to see such suffering. It’s sad to experience such pain. It’s tiresome and difficult. Come back. Please, come back now!

And yet, even when He tarries my hope is not lost. For His hope does NOT disappoint. He is its source. He has placed it in my heart. So I expectantly wait for his return. For in Him and through Him and by Him, I have all I need to go on one more day.

“For thou art He that took me out of the womb; thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother’s breasts.” Psalm 22:9

If you are like me and need some extra reason to hope today... here are a few scriptures to lift your heart and fill it with new hope.
Psa 42:5   Psa 16:9   Psa 31:24  Psa 33:18  Psa 33:22  Psa 38:15  Psa 39:7  Psa 71:5  Psa 71:14  Psa 119:49  Psa 119:81  Psa 119:114  Psa 119:116  Psa 130:5  Psa 146:5  Psa 147:11  Pro 10:28   Pro 13:12  Jer 17:7  Lam 3:24  Lam 3:26  Rom 5:5  Rom 8:24  Rom 8:25  Rom 12:12  Rom 15:13  1Cr 13:13  Gal 5:5  Eph 1:18  Eph 4:4  Phl 1:20  Col 1:27 1Th 5:8  2Th 2:16  1Ti 1:1 Tts 1:2 Tts 2:13  Tts 3:7 Hbr 6:18 1Pe 1:13 1Pe 1:21  1Pe 3:15  1Jo 3:3