The Beautiful Vulnerability Found in Hope

For the word of the LORD is upright,

And all His work is done in faithfulness.

He loves righteousness and justice;

The earth is full of the lovingkindness of the LORD.

Behold, the eye of the LORD is on the those who fear Him,

On those who hope for His lovingkindness...

Let Your lovingkindness, O LORD, be upon us,

According as we have hoped in You.

Psalm 33:4,5,18,22

I have a hard time hoping. I would rather expect the worst outcome and be pleasantly surprised than hope for the best and be disappointed. But that is not what this scripture calls me too, it calls me to hope in the lovingkindness of my LORD, my life. Hoping is hard. Hoping is scary. Hoping is vulnerable. And yet hoping is sweet. Hoping is beautiful. Hoping is joy. It's all about the attitude behind the hoping...the faith, the trust that builds up the hope. Where is my faith and trust? Is it wholeheartedly surrendered to my Lord? Have I given up my control or is hoping difficult because it brings me face to face with the reality that I have no control? Probably. But when my hopes fail, it hurts, it's hard. And yet where do I turn when my hopes fail? Do I turn to the disappointment of lost control or the trust and faith knowing that my God has a plan, and that nothing has "slipped by Him" and that His plan is good, pleasing and perfect (Romans 12:2). I want to hope. I want to hope without fear, without doubt. I want to hope in the lovingkindness of my LORD. And I want to continue in my hoping no matter what the outcome. Because our ways are not His ways and His ways are always better, no matter how long it takes me to see that. I want to trust in the hope, I want to have faith in the hope, I want to give over my need for control and give myself over to the beautiful vulnerability of hope in the One who will never fail me. 

Jesus thank you...

for the hope of Your lovingkindness

for the beauty in vulnerability

for always being right by my side

for the joy that is found in the hoping

that You have a plan and that Your plan is good, pleasing and perfect