Hope by Dawn Sandquist CHAPTER 13

COVENANTAL BLESSING – Chapter 13
“And again Isaiah says, ‘There shall be a root of Jesse; and He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, in Him the Gentiles shall hope.’ Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15: 12,13 (NKJV)

Hope is part of our covenantal blessing. God invented hope. This scripture shows us that when we believe in Him we will receive two mercies – joy and peace. Then we will abound in hope! Abraham hoped, then he believed, and then he received. Let us hope in Him as Abraham did. When we see that hope and when we visualize those things we have been hoping for and know that they really will come to pass, then we can move into the realm of faith. Faith is the substance of things hoped for. Faith is seeing what we hoped for; knowing that it will happen. Remember, “Hope that is seen is not hope.”

We visualize when we see what Father is calling forth. Seeing isn’t about psyching ourselves up to see what we want, it’s God birthing His vision in us and giving us eyes to see His visions, dreams and imaginings. Faith is seeing what was hoped for. The key is
to see it in God’s timing and through God’s eyes then we know He will be faithful to bring it about.

I have a vivid imagination. I am also a visual learner so this is double jeopardy. Not everything I see is of God and walking closely with Him helps me see clearer and clearer. We are still very absorbed in ourselves and our desires and agendas. We need the Holy Spirit to cleanse us and search us. I want God’s visions. I want to call forth things on the earth that He is asking for. What are HIS heart’s desires? How can I facilitate HIS dreams and visions for this day and age? What about His longings? I want them to come to pass, so I have faith that He who called me and shares His heart with me will bring them to completion.

I always hope that He will use me, and when I see how He wants to use me then I have faith that He will accomplish it in His timing and in His ways. The older I get the less worried I am about how He will do things. He truly has His own ways and means and the moment we reduce Him to a formula is the moment He changes something. He is consistent but not predictable. C.S. Lewis wrote about the Christ-like character of Aslan the Lion in the Chronicles of Narnia. The following is a conversation from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. (pg. 75,76 – Collier Books – Macmillan Publishing Company, New York, 1970)

“Aslan is a lion – the Lion, the great Lion.”
“Is he – quite safe?”
“Safe? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”

I think this beautifully and accurately describes our Lion of Judah. He is intricate but not complicated. He is reasonable but not logical. He is a mystery and a wonder, but He is Jehovah Shammah – the Lord who is here! My Hope is built on Him, as varied and exciting as He is. He is wild and calm. He is magnificent and yet humble. Uncontainable, unrestricted, totally fluid and free, yet He is order. He is outside of all things and yet only in Him do all things hold together. He is one to be feared, an all consuming fire who is totally and only Holy. He is our Father who holds us in His everlasting arms!

Questions
Do you believe God is good? Do you believe He is Love? Do you trust Him?
Is it possible to believe He is good and Love and yet not trust?

What is God asking you to see and believe He will bring it to pass? Do you believe He can? Do you believe He will?

How has fear played into your belief system? Do you have the fear of God that leads to wisdom or do you have the fear that leads to doubt?

How comfortable are you in your relationship with the “all consuming fire? Does that prevent you from seeing Him as a loving Father?