Having fresh hope for the new year doesn’t come easily for me.
Let’s be honest, we don’t all go bouncing into a new year enthusiastically, do we?
Sometimes we dive into the new year with celebratory excitement, and sometimes we tiptoe into it with cautious apprehension.
When You Fear the Unknown
Over the winter break, I took my kids to the local indoor pool.
Four of the five kids that accompanied me that morning, jumped right in without the slightest bit of hesitation.
Having been there before, they were familiar with their surroundings, and were aware that the water was warm and not terribly deep.
My 2 year old, however, stood at the edge, watching and waiting, as the others called to her from the water.
Slowly, carefully, she dipped her right foot in.
Then her left.
She waded there a bit, watching the others play to their hearts delight.
Once she determined that the water was safe, then— and only then— did she slip the rest of her body in.
For those of us who have experienced great hardship, I think going into the new year can be a bit like my daughter’s experience at the pool.
We stand at the precipice of the new year, looking out at the horizon, and approach it with caution.
Truly there is nothing we can do to avoid the inevitable. Eventually we will have to make the leap.
But that leap doesn’t always prove easy when you’ve been sobered by reality.
There’s much that I look forward to at the start of a new year.
A fresh, clean slate.
Invigorated intention.
Endless possibilities.
And there’s always that popular scripture about God making all things new! (Isaiah 43:18-19)
These are the things that make me giddy!
But, if I’m honest, there’s another side of me that looks ahead at all of the unknowns, and hesitates to enter in.
Call me grim, but having been introduced early on, to suffering and sorrow, I know that the future does not always look merry and bright.
On the contrary, this life is full of hardship and pain.
Rejection and betrayal.
Love and loss.
Illness and despair.
We have no way of knowing the details of what awaits us up ahead. And lacking that information can make us fearful of the future.
Even our best laid plans can never ensure us a year free of hardship or trial.
This life offers us no guarantees.
Lessons from Proverbs 31
I am both inspired and perplexed by the Proverbs 31 woman.
Scripture tells us:
“She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.” — Proverbs 31:21
She laughs without fear of the future..
Doesn’t that sound wonderful? And a bit far-fetched, if we’re honest.
My question (and maybe yours too) is HOW do we look upon our future without fear of what it might hold?
As I pondered this, a closer look at the scriptures, revealed a startling discovery!
Where We Place Our Hope Matters
Jeremiah 17:7 reads:
“Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, and have made Him their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat, or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and never stop producing fruit.”
Jeremiah reminds us that the Lord is our hope and our confidence.
And Him alone.
Not our circumstances.
Not things.
Not people.
Not our expectations.
But God, Himself!
The Promises of God
We are not necessarily promised an easy tomorrow.
Or a year without suffering.
Or a life without loss.
But what we ARE promised is just like the trees planted along the waters, we will flourish. And God will be our portion.
He alone will satisfy.
He alone will sustain us.
He alone will produce in us, that which nothing else can.
What’s more, is that He promises to go with us!
“When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.” — Isaiah 43:2
Therefore, come heat or comfort..
Come famine or plenty..
Come joy or pain..
I put my Hope in the One whose very name is Hope!
Standing at the Precipice of Choice
We can stand at the edge of the waters of life with fear and trepidation, as we consider all that “could” go wrong, or.. we can slip ourselves under the watery surface, knowing that our Hope is secure in the One who promises His presence no matter what comes our way.
This year, I want my roots to go down deep into the soil of HOPE.
Forgetting what lies behind, and looking forward to what lies ahead. (Philippians 3:13)
Suffering is temporary, but hope is eternal.
May 2019 be the year we laugh without fear of our future!
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future.” -Jeremiah :29:11
YES! Excellent post! Thank you for being real and honest and open, but also bringing it all back to God’s Word. “In Christ alone, my hope is found!” I can so relate to how you’re feeling at the start of the new year. C. S. Lewis described how I’ve felt: “We are not necessarily doubting that God will do the best for us; we are wondering how painful the best will turn out to be.”
Oh, I can certainly relate to C.S. Lewis’ thoughts! Thank you for the kind words.
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This was really good! I love the idea of rooting down into our true HOPE! Thank you for these words and the encouraging verses. They have some of my favs! :). Happy Hopeful New Year!
To be Rooted in Hope, is my goal this year! Thank you. Happy New Year to you!
Oddly enough, my reading for today was about how the mourners laughed at Jesus when He told them a little girl (who had died) was only asleep. Their laughter is something I don’t want to replicate, because it stemmed from doubt. But the laughter of the Proverbs 31 woman stemmed from faith in God! That’s the kind of laughing I want to do, Rachel! Great thoughts and so glad to have you back with us!
Me too, Beth! Laughter born out of faith, not doubt. Amen!
Thank you. It’s good to be back! 🙂
Oh, such a good post! So comforting to know that God will be with us through despair and hardship, tribulations and anguish. Of course, He will be with us through joy and exhilaration too! Thank you for the reminder that “The Lord is our hope and our confidence”!
He truly, truly is! Thank you for the encouragement, Laurie! 🙂
I love these thoughts: “Therefore, come heat or comfort..
Come famine or plenty..
Come joy or pain..
I put my Hope in the One whose very name is Hope!”
Oh yes, may I dive in boldly (I was just chatting with a friend about this very word) to what He has prepared for me. HE is my true hope! Thank you for these precious words today.
Thank you Bettie! I’m so glad that they encouraged you! Praying you are inspired to dive into what He has in store for you, with courage and hope! Blessings. 🙂
We had a very difficult year last year. One of the hardest our family has ever had. But I’m turning that around and telling myself that if we could survive last year, 2019 can’t throw anything at us that is any worse than 2018 and we made it through that one with the help and grace of God.
Calleen, I’m so sorry about your struggles last year. I’m praying alongside you, that God will be your shield and fortress, and whatever comes your way in 2019 or beyond, with His help, you will rise victorious!May He be your Hope and Comfort this year. (Hugs)
Suffering is temporary but hope is eternal. Absolutely loved that! Pinned to share with our Living Our Priorities community.
Thank you Timberlake! Glad it encouraged you. 🙂
What a great message, Rachel. I, too, was introduced to hardships early on. But, yes, Jesus is our hope…nothing else.
It’s always amazed me the Proverbs 31 woman was able to laugh at the future. Yet, I want her trust and resolve in God and His sovereignty.
Something the Lord showed me a few years ago is this. We won’t know what all that will transpire this year…good, bad, or ugly. We can know this: God doesn’t change. We trust in His able hands, His firm promises, and His goodness.
Amen Karen! I could not have said it any better!❤️
So good! Here’s my favorite quote from above:
“We are not necessarily promised an easy tomorrow.
Or a year without suffering.
Or a life without loss.
But what we ARE promised is just like the trees planted along the waters, we will flourish. And God will be our portion.”
So very true. Thank you!
Thanks for the encouraging words, Leslie. He is our portion!❤️
This is a great post! I definitely worry too much about the future. I find it far too easy to imagine all kinds of disaster scenarios! Remembering that our hope is in God and he is always with us definitely helps!
I love your reminder that God doesn’t promise ease or comfort, but He does promise that we will flourish in Him! Great and timely post – I shared on Facebook with my readers 😊 Be blessed, Rachel.
This is such a beautifully written post! Proverbs 31:25 has been a verse I cling to (I have it on my FB page also) and this post spoke right to my heart this morning! TY Cathy for your heart! God is so good! ❤
Yes! I put my Hope in the One whose very name is Hope!
This is truth. Hang on to this.
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