Practice Hope

Long ago, little boys used to ask, “Mama, why do we have to use our manners at home?  It’s just us!”  It really was a good question, however, my reply was always, “We practice our manners at home so we’ll do them real good away from home.”  That seems to satisfy the little boys at my house.

What are the expectations of the righteous?  Not what, but Who!  “For God alone my soul waits in silence; from Him comes my Salvation. He alone is my Rock and my Salvation, my Fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken. For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my Hope is from Him. He only is my Rock and my Salvation, my Fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my Salvation and my glory; my Mighty Rock, my Refuge is God.” (Psalm 62: 1-2, 5-6)  We live in a watchful world; constantly and anxiously watching stocks, currencies, investments, markets, and banks.  The language David uses in Psalm 62 does not support such anxiety!  Rather, we are people with otherwise uncommon expectations.  We live in this expectation, “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.’” (Matthew 25:34)  Such is our Hope in Christ that we live in this manner, which honors the Lord Whose Grace is evermore sufficient in all matters.  It’s time, like my little boys, to practice Hope, live what we preach and [say] we believe.  In contrast to practicing manners at home, we practice Hope away from home.  Consequently, glorious will be our time [at Home] with our Father in Heaven.  Practice Hope!