“Know also that wisdom is like honey for you: If you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.” Proverbs 24:14
Hope from heaven is a dependable handle to hang on to through the ups and downs of life. Like a skilled mountain climber we hook our rope of trust to the face of the solid rock, so we have secure support. It does not mean we are absent of fear, but it does mean in the middle of our fears we can have faith in Holy God to handle the inclement conditions.
The wisdom of the Lord is not illusive, but available to all who humble their hearts and take the time to invite in His influence. Truth is sweet to the soul and it will nourish your heart like spiritual nectar. Belief is a worker bee on behalf of God that takes the pollen of providence and produces the sustenance of salvation. You may have tried religion and found it lacking, but do not give up on God—enter into a growing relationship with Jesus.
“The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown” (Matthew 19:22-23).
Hope keeps your heart fertile to grow the seed of God’s word. Perhaps past regrets have choked out your confidence in Christ, if so—determine not to give up—but to give Him another chance. You may be like Paul, Moses, Naomi, Hannah, Sarah and Abraham who saw the Lord use them much more in the second half of their life than the first half. As long as there is breath in your body, you have the potential to be a bold witness for God.
Jesus does not cut off those who trust Him, but leads them down the path of productive Kingdom living. Lift your eyes off yourself and look to Him and seek out how to serve those in need. Make sure you follow Him by faith—do not ask Him to follow you. Hope in the Lord adds fuel to your fire of faith. It is your soul’s internal combustion for the cause of Christ. Finish well by not giving up, but by giving all you have for God!
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:7-8).
What is the Lord calling me to give over to Him and to not give up on Him?
Related Readings: Psalm 119:116; Isaiah 57:10; 1 Thessalonians 1:3; 1 John 3:3
Source: Wisdom Hunters by Boyd Bailey
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