Hope Against Hope

In our culture, we are hopeful about many things. We may hope for good weather for a special activity. A student may hope to do well on an upcoming test. Right now many Detroit Tiger fans are hoping their team will come back and put up a fight in the World Series. I am hoping the USC Trojans finish their season strong and continue to win.

We may hope for a lot of things, but even in our hope we aren't always very hopeful. Although Tiger fans are still hoping to win the World Series, they are down 1-3, and may not be very optimistic.

Biblical hope is totally different. It is not wishful thinking; it is a confident expectation. Abraham displayed this kind of hope, described for us in Romans 4:18-21. In hope against hope he believed, in order that he might become a father of many nations, according to that which had been spoken, "So shall your descendants be." And without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah's womb; yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief, but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what He had promised, He was able also to perform.

Abraham had hope in a hopeless situation. He was 100 years old, and his wife Sarah was 90. From a human perspective, their chance of having a baby at this point was no chance at all. It was impossible. Yet Abraham did not become weak in faith (v. 19); he did not waver in unbelief (v.20). How could he do this? He was fully assured that God was able to fulfill His promise (v. 21). God had promised a son, and Abraham trusted God. He knew God would keep His word.

Like Abrahm, we can count on God's faithfulness.

Psalm 12:6--The words of the Lord are pure words; as silver tried in a furnace on the earth, refined seven times.

Proverbs 30:5--Every word of God is tested; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. God's Word passes the test every single time.

Deuteronomy 7:9--Know therefore that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation to those who love Him and keep His commandments.

Psalm 36:5--Thy lovingkindness, O Lord, extends to the heavens, Thy faithfulness reaches to the skies.

Deuteronomy 32:4--The Rock! His work is perfect, for all His ways are just; a God of faithfulness and without injustice, righteous and upright is He.

Isaiah 25:1--O Lord, Thou art my God; I will exalt Thee, I will give thanks to Thy name; for Thou hast worked wonders, plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness. God's faithfulness is absolutely perfect.

Are you facing a difficult situation? From a human perspective, do your circumstances seem hopeless? Follow Abraham's example, and focus on the Lord. He is sovereign, good, loving, and powerful. Remind yourself of these truths, and you too can have hope against hope.

Lamentations 3:21-23--This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. The Lord's lonvingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Thy faithfulness.

Dwelling on the Praiseworthy

In an ongoing look at Set your Mind, Set your Course, we have seen the POWER of the mind. Whatever dominates our thinking is going to dominate our lives, whether we want it to or not.
We have seen the PRIORITY of the mind. We are to set our minds on things above. We are to have an eternal, spiritual perspective on life. We have been looking at the PATTERN for the mind, found in Philippians 4:8. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things. We have looked at these terms one by one.

Our last attribute is praiseworthy, literally on or upon praise. Nothing or no one is more worthy of our praise than God Himself, our amazing Creator and sovereign Lord.
Here we’ve come back full circle to focusing our thoughts on God. I must fix my eyes on Jesus, as I’m instructed in Hebrews 12:2. When my thoughts are dwelling on my precious Savior, my heart is filled with praise, and the things of this world grow strangely dim, as the song says.

When I set my mind on The One who is praiseworthy, I have set a course to please the Lord.

Let me share a couple of my favorite praise passages.
Psalm 103:1-2--Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits.
Philippians 3:20-21--Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

What verses or thoughts stimulate you to praise the Lord?

Our minds are busy, we’re always thinking about something. Let’s purpose to let our minds dwell on things that our pleasing to the Lord, and thus set our course for spiritual prosperity.

Dwelling on What's of Good Repute and Excellent

In Philippians 4:8, the Lord gives us instructions as to what He desires in our pattern of thinking. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things.

Our minds are to dwell on thoughts of good repute--well thought of, highly regarded, admirable. This kind of thinking searches for the good rather than the bad, in ourselves and in others.

What forms the basis of your self-image? Do you obsess over your faults and weaknesses, the things you've done wrong? Or do you focus on the Lord Jesus Christ, thankful that He died to forgive sin, and has made all who believe in Him new creatures? Does your mind dwell on who you are in Christ, on the reality that He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him, on the riches of His grace which He has lavished upon us, on the riches of the glory of our inheritance in Him, on the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe? (Ephesians 1)

We all know from personal experience about hurtful feelings. Maybe someone has said something unkind to us, or disappointed us in some way. How do we respond? Do we nurse our hurt feelings, and replay them in our minds over and over again, with the initial offense, whether real or imagined, growing each time? This is the opposite of thoughts of good repute. I need to focus on the good qualities of others, the positive actions they have taken toward me, and what positive actions I can take toward them. I want to focus on the positive in others, not the negative.

Romans 12:21
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good

What are some practical ways we concentrate on the positive? What has helped you to overcome evil with good in your relationships? What has helped you to think thoughts of good repute, about yourself or others?

When I set my mind on thoughts of bad repute, I set my course for self-pity, bitterness, and misery.

Now the terminology changes—if there is any excellence. In the Greek if can mean different things, this one could be translated since. We are commanded to think about the excellent.

Ecclesiastes 9:10a--Whatever your hand finds to do, verily, do it with all your might
Colossians 3:23--Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men

Excellence is what God desires from us, but it is very easy to fall into better than, or good enough thinking.

Well, I think I am a better Christian than so and so. I’m doing a good enough job to get by.

How do we think about the responsibilities God has given for us to do? These take on many shapes and styles for different women and at different times in our lives—maybe it’s a ministry opportunity, a responsibility we have as a student, an obligation at our place of employment, or just the day in day out activities of life. Do we take a better than, or good enough attitude? Or do we seek to please God in all we think, say, and do, and pursue excellence?

When we set our minds on better than or good enough thinking, we set our course for mediocrity and self-righteousness.