Harbingers of hope
Harbinger – a person or thing that announces or indicates the approach of something; forerunner.
Hope – the confident expectation of what God has promised and its strength is in His faithfulness.
“Hope is not wishful thinking; hope is confident expectation.” – Ben Stuart
Just before we moved back to Spain a new friend gave me a bracelet she made for me. It’s so beautiful and delicate. She hammered out the silver and then stamped a word into the side. The word she chose was hope. This particular friend is very intentional with her words and I knew that she had prayed and pondered what to write and chose that word with intention. I’ve worn it daily since she gave it to me, and I’ve often wondered what it signified.
As I read Scripture and would come across a passage or verse mentioning hope, I would consider its meaning. One reference to hope in particular that struck me, was a podcast from Proverbs 31 ministries. The speaker shared that rather than being optimistic or hopeful about some future event, biblical hope is the assurance that what God has said is true and what he has promised will come to pass.
The funny thing is, I kept looking for how the word hope could apply to me. Isn’t that so typical? I can be very selfish and although having three children and a husband has meant I have learned to die to myself more than I did when it was just me, I’m still a recovering only child at heart.
One day, on a long walk (those have been such a gift from the Lord during this pandemic), I had a realization. What if the hope I carry isn’t for me? What if I carry hope to share it with others?
Sure enough, from the moment God led me to that thought, I started to see how it could be true. I had lunch with one of my dearest friends in the world and talk turned to the current challenges we face due to Covid. We each weathered the beginning of the pandemic and lockdown in different cultures on different continents. We discussed similarities and differences in how our government approached the virus. But when it came time to talk about what comes next, the conversation took an interesting turn. After much talk of the challenges we have faced and continue to face in the wake of the virus, I asked what he was hoping for. “Are you hoping for a vaccine? For the disease to be eradicated? What are you placing your hope in right now?” I was shocked to hear that he wasn’t hoping for any of those things. In fact, he wasn’t hopeful at all.
And there it was. We carry hope with us. In all circumstances and in all seasons. We know the hope of the world. The only one who can bring light to darkness and who can give us assurance in times of uncertainty.
Let it be, Lord. Let our family be harbingers of hope, bringing your assurance to all those who seek it.
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