The reason for my hope

***Updated***

My new friend Elyse let me know that the sermon link I posted wasn't working. So I'm trying a different link. This link will take you to our church's website and down just a little on the left hand side of your screen you'll see:

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Recent Sermon

September 6, 2009

Grace Exalted

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And right near there you'll need to click on the word LISTEN.

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You shouldn't need to do anything else after that. A little window should pop up and it should start playing on its own. And again, I can't encourage you enough to take a few moments to hear it. Have it play while you fold laundry, or start dinner, or whatever. It'll be worth it!

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Have any of you women been over to (In)Courage? It's a new website just for women launched by Dayspring. And some of my favorite bloggers are on the team and they're posting really inspiring and encouraging things.

The theme at (In)Courage right now is hope. And women have been blogging about hope and what it means to them. They also opened it up to the general public and allowed anybody to add their own post about hope to the list. There are some really thought provoking posts, so go check it out!

I missed the deadline to add my post to the list, but I've been feeling like I was supposed to write about hope.

I mentioned yesterday that I've been reading an excellent book called A Quest for More by Paul David Tripp. A line from Tripp's book popped off the page when I read it on Friday. I bet you can guess what it was about! I'll get to that in a moment.

And then on Sunday we were listening to Natalie Grant's Relentless CD on the way to church. The song Our Hope Endures came on and I heard it in a whole new way. The lyrics spoke right to my heart.

And then the sermon on Sunday morning was so good, as usual. Pastor Matthew said some things that I needed to hear about God's grace, all within this theme of hope. I can't urge you strongly enough to listen to this sermon. You need to hear the whole thing for context, but the part I really loved is from about the 23 minute mark on.

OKAY, Lord! I'll write about hope!!!

But where do I even begin??? For such a small word, hope is a very big word. Broad. There are several directions I could go. But I think I want to focus on the Reason for our hope, or on Whom our hope is built.

Pause the music at the bottom of my blog and just take four minutes and twenty-two seconds to listen to Natalie Grant's song Our Hope Endures. I've posted the lyrics just below the video and they are absolutely inspired.



Our Hope Endures by Natalie Grant

You would think only so much can go wrong
Calamity only strikes once
And you assume that this one has suffered her share
Life will be kinder from here

Sometimes the sun stays hidden for years
Sometimes the sky rains night after night
When will it clear

But our hope endures the worst of conditions
It's more than our optimism
Let the earth quake
Our hope is unchanged

How do we comprehend peace within pain
Our joy at a good man's wake
Walk a mile with a woman whose body is torn
With illness but she marches on

Sometimes the sun stays hidden for years
Sometimes the sky rains night after night
When will it clear

But our hope endures the worst of conditions
It's more than our optimism
Let the earth quake
Our hope is unchanged

Emanuel, God is with us
El Shaddai, all sufficient
Emanuel, God is with us
El Shaddai, all sufficient
Emanuel, God is with us
El Shaddai, all sufficient

We NEVER walk alone
This is our hope
Our hope endures, the worst of conditions
It's more than our optimism
Let the earth quake
Let the earth quake
Let the earth quake
Our hope is unchanged

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CAN I GET AN AMEN??? Excuse me while I grab a tissue and dab my eyes. I love this song.

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One of my favorite lines is this: It's more than our optimism.

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I pondered that for awhile. Natalie is so right. Optimism can only get me so far in the tough circumstances of life. Where the rubber meets the road, and I'm in the pit of doubt or grief or desperation, I need so much more than plain old optimism.

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I need Christ. It's HIS righteousness that gives me hope. My ransom has been paid! I'm forgiven and free. He purchased that for me! My sins have been washed white as snow. My life has been redeemed from the pit. The battle is won! The victory is His!

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The quote from A Quest for More that struck me is this, "Whose righteousness gives you courage and hope as you deal with daily life?" It hit me right between the eyes. It's Christ's righteousness. That's why we have hope.

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Anything else I hope in is a cheap substitute. Weak. Worthless.

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Optimism.

Positivity.

Health.

House.

Job.

Spouse.

Money in the bank.

Fame.

Intelligence.

Family.

My own determination.

Goals.

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It's all shifting sand compared to the Solid Rock of Jesus and His righteousness. He is who I can and must cling to whenever the storms rage.

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That makes me think of another song! The good old hymn!

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The Solid Rock

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Verse 1. My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness.

I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus' name.

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Refrain: On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand; all other ground is sinking sand.

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Verse 2. When Darkness veils his lovely face, I rest on his unchanging grace. In every high and stormy gale, my anchor holds within the veil. (Refrain

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Verse 3. His oath, his covenant, his blood supports me in the whelming flood. When all around my soul gives way, he then is all my hope and stay. (Refrain)

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Verse 4. When he shall come with trumpet sound, O may I then in him be found! Dressed in his righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne! (Refrain)

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Both songs reference God being unchanging. Natalie says our hope is unchanged. And The Solid Rock speaks about resting on His unchanging grace. The point is, He is unchanging! Hebrews 13:8 says, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."

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There is no circumstance you could experience that is too big for Him. His feathers won't be ruffled. He won't be shaken or moved. There is no bankruptcy too desperate for Him. There is no miscarriage too sad for Him. There is no depression too low for Him. There is no job loss too discouraging for Him. There is no argument too huge for Him. There is no relationship too tough for Him. There is no infertility too mysterious. There is no diagnosis too frightening. There is no loss too unpexected. There is no disaster too devastating. Let the earth quake! Our Hope is unchanged.

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Whatever the situation, the ultimate victory is His. Because of Who Christ is and what He accomplished on the cross we have hope!

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My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. Is your hope built on Him?