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Setting Your Hopes Free

3/7/2022

10 Comments

 
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“Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double.” Zechariah 9:12 (ESV)

Somewhere in my childhood, I learned the lesson that hope is not safe. What imprinted that maxim into my young psyche, I’m not sure. Maybe hoping for something that never materialized: a special doll from the Sears Wish Book. Or a smile of approval from my preoccupied father. My disillusioned heart carried that conviction into adulthood like the chicken pox scar under my eye—barely noticeable but indelible.

I considered “hope” one of the most dangerous words in the English language. Hope is a set-up for heartbreak. Where hope abides, disappointment is idling in the driveway with a U-Haul. Who needs that kind of pain? So I said “nope” to hope and lowered my expectations to passive pessimism, preferring the occasional pleasant surprise to the disappointment of dashed dreams.

I understood intellectually that the Lord is good and loving, but my guarded heart was crippled. By refusing to hope, I was unable to fully trust in Him, afraid to let go for fear of letdown.

Friend, has something robbed your hope? Maybe, like Hannah (1 Samuel 1:3), you long to have a child and every month your hope crumbles a little bit more. Maybe you hope your marriage will change. Your health will improve. You’ll find another job. After a while, you might be ready to jettison hope altogether—or at least imprison your expectations behind the bars of your heart, locking away their relentless ache.

In the days of Zechariah, the Jews had begun to return from their exile in Babylon and rebuild Jerusalem. After years of struggle with adversaries on all sides, some had given up hope that they could ever fortify and reestablish the city. Yet God gave them a promise that lifted their eyes beyond their hopeless circumstances to the source of sure and unshakable hope: the coming Messiah. Scripture tells us, “Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey… Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double” (Zechariah 9:9,12 ESV).

As He did for his people, Israel, God heard my unspoken longings and fulfilled them perfectly through the love of Jesus Christ, setting me free to hope, to risk, to dream God-sized dreams.

When fear and disappointment imprison our hope, Jesus invites us to come to Him, our stronghold and place of safety. Whatever we’re afraid to hope for, whatever we’re afraid to reach for, whatever we’ve lost, He promises to restore double the blessings as we rely on Him.

Dear God, thank You that all my hopes are safe with You. Help me trust You with my deepest longings and remember that You desire to bless immeasurably more than all I could ask or imagine. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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*Originally published at Melanischitwood.com 
To learn more about Leslie, please reach out at lamcleod.com

10 Comments
Liz
3/8/2022 09:58:39 pm

Thank you so much for sharing!! God bless you!!

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Leslie link
3/11/2022 04:17:19 pm

I'm so glad it blessed you, Liz!

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Maryann Barattia
3/10/2022 03:15:50 pm

Leslie,
What a blessing it was for me to read your piece on Hope. You put it so beautifully that it unlocked the aches in my heart over my own experience in childhood to the present. I was not familiar with the verses from Zech 9:9-12. I will write it on my ring of favorite versus
to lift my spirits and refresh my trust in the lord. Thank you for sharing your story. I will think of you each time I read the verse and pray for both of us. Mary

Reply
Leslie link
3/11/2022 04:19:20 pm

Thank you so much, Mary. The OT has such powerful promises for us. I'm glad the story resonated with you and brought comfort. I appreciate your prayers.

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Dee Coroneos
3/10/2022 04:03:02 pm

Dear Leslie,

Thank you for sharing your story of hope restored in Jesus! Like most of us, I’ve experienced my dose of disappointments in life, but somehow I kept hoping and believing in His promises as I got to know more of His character and studied the biblical characters who overcame tough obstacles, but kept they’re eyes on their Living Hope. Our hope is in Christ who will use even our broken dreams to mature us and create testimonies that will bless others, while giving Him the glory. May the Lord continue to bless you with the joy of his salvation as you encourage others.

In Christ,
Dee Coroneos

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Leslie link
3/11/2022 04:21:22 pm

Such encouraging thoughts, Dee, thank you!

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Maricel Bates link
3/11/2022 08:58:58 am

My dear sister in Christ,

His words in Zechariah indeed gives me so much comfort that He will give us a double blessing for our loss. His promises are true and we can always rely on them. I always thought of HOPE as a positive word and never thought that it was a dangerous word. Thank you for sharing your story!
“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭5:1-5‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Reply
Leslie link
3/11/2022 04:23:16 pm

"Hope does not disappoint." Exactly! It all depends where our hope lies, doesn't it?

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April Sliwak link
3/11/2022 04:04:46 pm

Thank you, Leslie, for sharing this story on hope. Your soothing words touched my heart and restored a special remembrance of what God is capable of doing and going to doing double! Love, April

Reply
Leslie
3/12/2022 08:58:28 am

Thank you, April, for the privilege of sharing my story here. I'm so glad it was a source of comfort and encouragement.

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