HOPE

For the past couple of days, I've had a good time feeding on hope. Hope does not disappoint because the Love of God is poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. Here's another fun one, "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that you may be filled with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."-Somewhere in Romans 10 or 11. This was such a fun passage for me because it showed me the desperate desire I have to have even hope as a gift of the Holy Spirit.

Sometimes you can't just drum up hope if you know what I mean. The past week or two, I've just been angry. Angry at kids, angry at wives, angry at employees, at the world, at God I'm sure and no matter what I tried I just couldn't get over my pessimism. I had no reason to complain, but for lack of a better explanation, I was just p.m.s.

So finally, I had it out with God and asked for help. Help to Hope. Help to know why I was feeling so mad. He took me to Psalms 42 on the drive to Raleigh today, and I meditated in it all the way down 264. "Why are you downcast Oh my soul, and why are you disquieted within me?" It's not like we ever get a clear answer.

No major problems. Have great job, family, health, money, etc. No reason to be down, but why is my soul disquieted. The Psalmest says, "I go about mourning because of the oppression of the enemy." No doubt we have an enemy. No doubt he oppresses. But the questions is how to get out of this.

David gives a couple of ways out. 1) I remember Your lovingkindness in the land of the Jordan.--all those times it seemed impossible that God bailed me out. This gives me hope for now and hope for today that it will be OK. 2) "He will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night His song shall be with me." You've got to find your Song in the night. In the times of darkness, when your soul is down, you must find a song of praise to lift you out of our misery.

The song of the Lord, the rememberance of His deliverance. Put those two together and they can give me hope when nothing in my PMA overcomes my Pms. God is the God of all hope, and my prayer is He will fill you with joy and peace in believing, and with a song of faith, your soul will continue to hope in God. We need HIM.