07/26/2022
Truly blessed is he who has never stood hopeless on one of life’s darkest nights, and searched for a tiny glimmer of hope. When we stand beneath a starless sky, or cower in hopelessness as storm clouds turn our day to night, where do we find the strength to believe, and the faith to hope again? Where do we turn to reclaim the lost joy that will bring light back into our lives? There is but one place for us to turn, and that is to the Lord. We cry out to Him with tears of desperation, and patiently wait upon Him with a strength that only His Holy Spirit can brings to us. We trust in our hope’s return, and have faith in Him, our strong tower, while we wait for the glow of the Lord’s righteous return.
“For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness.”
Galatians 5:5 ESV
I was returning home from a business trip, and as my plane waited on the tarmac to take off, I watched as one of the darkest storms I have ever seen began to come over us. Then, as we raced down the runway and lifted off into the black clouds I stared fearfully into the storm’s darkness. The day outside had turned to night within the clouds, and our plane began to hit turbulence as the storm worsened around us. I could see the fear in the eyes of those around me, and could almost hear their silent prayers as they were being offered up amidst the terror of that moment.
We climbed into the storm at a steep angle as the plane violently rose then dropped with shudders that strained our seat belts, and caused the wings to flap as if our plane were a bird. I could feel my hope escaping, and as I prayed I wondered if my next prayer would be my last in this world. Then, at the height of my fear, and the pinnacle of my desperate prayer, I saw a growing glow ahead, and we broke suddenly through the clouds into the bright sunshine. Looking down I could see the black storm clouds we had just flown through, but here, on their upper sides the sun shone, hope returned, and our prayers of fear and desperation became those of hope and thankfulness once more.
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.”
Jeremiah 29:11-12 ESV
Life’s storms are a lot like the one that my plane flew through on that day. When we are in the midst of our personal storms there doesn’t seem to be a good end to them, and we can feel their power as they drain us of our hope, but though we might have to wait, and suffer, our prayers will be answered by He who has overcome the world.
“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”
Romans 12:12 ESV
There is a saying that many people recite when facing hard times, and it goes like this: “Every dark cloud has a silver lining.” This saying is meant to give people hope, but having been inside a dark cloud I can tell you honestly that I couldn’t see the silver lining. What I did see was that atop every dark cloud the sun has never stopped shining. Our Heavenly Father is beside us in the storm, and hears our prayers, but in the end He restores the fullness of our hope, our faith and righteousness, and He does this by lifting us up from within the storm, and into His glorious light once more.
“For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O Lord, from my youth. Upon you I have leaned from before my birth; you are he who took me from my mother’s womb. My praise is continually of you.”
Psalm 71:5-6 ESV
Prayer:
Father, thank you for hope; for the twinkle of a single star on the darkest night, and for the top of every dark cloud that is bathed in your light. Thank you Lord Jesus for your intercession, and for allowing us to pray powerfully in your name. Thank you for being with us in our dire moments; in the heart of every dangerous storm that overtakes us, and for strengthening our faith, and hope, in every situation that Satan tells us is hopeless. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our God whose light is never extinguished, and who is our hope always. Praised be your name for the dark clouds because within them our prayers are perfected, our hope finds wings, and atop them our praise for you reaches new heights. Merciful are you Lord that you faithfully hear our prayers, and create a hole in every cloud for a shaft of light, or a glimpse of a star to reach us, and encourage us. You are our joy and our peace, and you bring us hope when we are buffeted by the violent winds, and raging seas of our despair. Forgive us Father when we doubt you, and wash us in the blood of your Son Jesus so that our sins would be removed, and our hope returned to us. Transform us by your grace into the image of Christ, and see only His face as you look upon us in judgement. This is the truest form of our hope, and is the promise we cling to as we long to spend eternity with you. Lift us up above the world, and seat us before you forevermore. There with you we will pray alongside Jesus for all those who are yet being buffeted by the storms…
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”
Romans 15:13 ESV
Rich Forbes