His Word My Hope

“You are my refuge and my shield; your word is my source of hope” (Psalm 119:114, NLT).

“Lord, when the struggles of this life overwhelm, you are my sanctuary. When I'm not strong enough to stand, you are the strength that carries me. When I feel vulnerable to the onslaught of those who come against me, you are the shield that protects. You are your Word; you and your Word are my sources of hope in this world. When the world speaks defeat, you speak victory. When the world speaks death, you speak life. When the world turns its back, you are constant and unchanging. When the world accepts the latest belief, your Word is solid and pure. It inspires all the hope I need to reach for you. I can't place hope in a word that changes because then my hope would have no meaning. But your Word is Truth, and it is rock-solid and unchanging. What it promises it provides. I can believe in what you impart through your abiding Word. I can believe in your faithfulness above all the world's fickleness. In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with you, and you were the Word (John 1:1-2). Not only did it exist, Lord, but it was and is your very heart and being!”

His Word is my source of hope! The New Living Translation version of John 1:1-2 speaks of the Word as “He”. The Word was God in the beginning. The Word is God now. If I want to know God, I will know His Word. If I want to know His hope, I will make His Word my most intimate friend. Whatever I face, I can hope in His Word! “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;  perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us” (Roman 5:3-4, NIV).

How do I glory (rejoice) in that which is my refuge and shield? I rejoice when I grow through hardship in perseverance and character and hope. I rejoice when God's Word inspires me to discover His promise for my life. Hope does not disappoint–it does not discourage–it does not shame when it is placed in God's Word. His love has been poured into my heart through the gift of the Holy Spirit, and that love anchors me to believe in His Truth. It is what a volatile world so desperately needs, but cannot grasp without believing in Him. Help me to live and always hope in His Word!