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Get your hopes UP

16

For you, O Lord, are my hope,
my trust, O LORD, from my youth.
Psalm 71:5

“Don’t get your hopes up.”

It was Wednesday, my last text before the next one: “Call me!!!”

On Sunday, on Monday, on Tuesday...the weatherman predicted snow for Wednesday. THE Wednesday. The day she’d turn 16. The day she wanted her drivers’ license.

Indeed, yesterday morning she awoke to wet roads and snowy flakes. And closed courthouses. And no driving tests.

But the morning moved in with winds and peek-a-boo sun and phone calls made to three surrounding counties.

Until finally one answer with possibility. Texts were typed to the ballerina now in class: “They may open this afternoon. Don’t get your hopes up.

Oh, but can’t we?

How can we not get our hopes up? When it’s something we want? We’ve worked for? We’ve even promised to use for God’s glory?

Doesn’t God understand how we get our hopes up?
And how crushed we feel when they crash down?

Did Jesus have his hopes up in Gethsemane that God would pull out a Plan B? And was he disappointed when God didn’t?

No.

Because his hopes weren’t in the situation.
His hopes were in the Person.

~ ~ ~

I called again. “Yes, the roads have cleared enough. No, there is not a wait.”

I sent the text to Jenna: “Call me!!!”

Hopes were high. Until the next glitch. And the next. My mood sank. Why? Because my hopes had settled into the situation. When they should have clung to a Person.

In the end, the test was taken. And passed. And license issued!

With victory in hand, how easy it was to look back and see God’s plan had been right after all.

But how frustrating to see how easily I lost hope at the midway point.

I know it’s a weakness, this dropping hope like a hot potato. I want to grow past the quick toss. I want to hold hope longer, learning it won’t burn my hands if I squeeze it tight.

Next time I want my hope to linger longer on the Person, not the situation.

My plans may work; they may fail. But they never bring victory.
The victory is in the Person. In Jesus.

It is safe to get our hopes up.

If we keep them UP—on him. Not on me or you. Not on our plans.

But on him. On Jesus.

And in his name the Gentiles will hope.
Matthew 12:21

* * *

How easy or hard is it for you to get your hopes up?

RELATED:

And thanks to Rebekah for making me think with her post on 
Great Expectations.

14 comments:

Dianna said...

What a valuable lesson this is for all of us, Lisa. How easy it is to get our hope focused on the situation rather than in His person! Thank you for the gentle reminder!

Leanna said...

Thanks for posting this (found you via the Faith Barista) very good point to put our Hope in the person not the situation.

Unknown said...

How wonderful to have permission to get my hopes up...in Jesus. Woot! Woot!

Bonnie Gray said...

"Dropping hope like a hot potato.. "

Ugh. Why do I do that? :) ..

Love this post... It dares us to hope in our circumstance, while hanging onto a Person.

Throw that potato back over here, if I pass it. 'K?

Loved that photo of pure driving joy - YES!

Anonymous said...

You are dead on. Hope is important to hang onto, but for it to be secure it must be in Him. Glad everything worked out great too!

Heidi said...

Wonderful application and reminder that our hopes aren't related to the weather or our circumstances they are on our Jesus! Keeping my hopes up in Him! Thank you, great post!

Trisha said...

So glad your daughter was able to get her license, Lisa! Great reminder to keep our hope set on Him and not our circumstances. The trials He's given me have taught me this most powerfully, and how wonderful it is have HOPE because of Him.

Stephani Cochran said...

Wonderful encouragement Lisa. As I was reading I thought that as long as we are hoping in Jesus and not that the outcome will be exactly as we want, then in the end if things don't turn out the way we had wanted, our lives will still be so much more enriched because we walked in hope rather than defeat.

Anonymous said...

This is such an important truth. I actually preached a message a few months ago called, "Get your hopes up!" It can't be grounded in changed circumstances because that hope will inevitably get deferred and make our hearts sick, but if we hope in Him, we will never be put to shame. Thanks Lisa. Great word!

Melissa_Rae said...

I so need to pass this along to my husband. He is always chiding me for getting my hopes up about things that I think God is doing. He has been disappointed a lot in things he's hoped for, so he's very cautious about this. I think the explanation that I am hoping in God's plan and not the situation would be helpful. I've never thought of it that way, but it's totally what I do! Thank you for sharing this...and congrats to your daughter on the license! :)

Monica Sharman said...

Awesome. Yeah, if the hopes are UP to the highest, then hope won't come crashing down!

Laura said...

Happy belated birthday to your Jenna, and congratulations! Sixteen. Sweet.

I felt convicted as you describe how quickly we let our hopes fall, Lisa. Yep, been there. But I am always amazed at gently he comes close during those times, lifts my head up and reminds: I am your hope.

Oh, yes he is.

Sheryl said...

I love this! My hopes are pinned to a person, but I'm often forgetful and think that they're pinned to an idea or an event. Thanks for the reminder!

bekahcubed said...

So very true!

"Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly." ~Romans 5:5-6

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