Today I had a pause in my day where I needed to wait for 15 minutes. Typically I do mindless stuff on my phone and then I realized I needed to make my time more meaningful. So I hopped on my new YouTube channel called “Let it Dwell” which is dedicated to Scripture memorization. (It is definitely a work in progress and the few videos are up there need edited). https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYaRNkqdtepQDu7KSYP4zEQ

I started with the first video of Is 40:30 and reviewed it. I’ve heard this Scripture hundreds of times and I’m sure you have as well:

“Even youth grow tired and weary and young men stumble and fall, but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will rise up on wings of eagles. They will run and not grow weary and walk and not be faint.” Is 40:30

One of the problems of hearing a Scripture so very many times is that you don’t stop to think about it. What does it really mean? Because truth be told, I struggle a lot with fatigue. Not just tiredness, but the fatigue that comes from an auto-immune disease that is brutal at times. But this verse somehow really challenged me today.

It states plainly that even the young get tired and fall. But then it says there are those who run and don’t grow weary and walk and don’t become tired. What’s the difference?

The difference is HOPE.

Those who have great hope are buoyant. Just like a buoy in the ocean that doesn’t sink but marks important points in the ocean, so those who hope are buoyant. And this affects not just our spirits but our souls and even our bodies.

So really the question is,

How strong is my hope?

Do I look ahead with excitement because I trust the Lord to do great things no matter the circumstances? Do I look with hope at the world even in this mess not because of what I see but because God is still on the throne? If I wer to rate the strength of my hope right now between 0 and 10, what would it be?

What would yours be?

Those who have a strong sense of hope come back quickly the Scripture says. Their buoy gets pushed down and it pops right back up. But those who have low hope sink.

Am I nurturing hope? Are my eyes seeing God to the extent I have great hope for my life? One that makes the disappointments look insignificant? Hope for this world so much that it inspires me to great action for all the good things God is getting ready to do?

Does hope come deep within me or do I have to will a sense of hope?