Character, hope

"Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand, O You who save those who trust in You From those who rise up against them," The New King James Version Psalms 17:7

David's Prayer of Psalm 17 unites his faith with his hope in the God of heaven, the God of his heart. One can only imagine from which of David's desperate situations he might be praying. We are wise to meditate on these expressions. More wise are those who consider that the answers to such prayers are not shaped by our expectations but by The Hand who delivers them. And disappointment only befalls those who have set their hopes this side of Eternity, beneath His promise and below our heavenly calling.

“Then I pleaded with the Lord at that time, saying: 24 ‘O Lord God, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your mighty hand, for what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do anything like Your works and Your mighty deeds? 25 I pray, let me cross over and see the good land beyond the Jordan, those pleasant mountains, and Lebanon.’ 26 “But the Lord was angry with me on your account, and would not listen to me. So the Lord said to me: ‘Enough of that! Speak no more to Me of this matter. 27 Go up to the top of Pisgah, and lift your eyes toward the west, the north, the south, and the east; behold it with your eyes, for you shall not cross over this Jordan. 28 But command Joshua, and encourage him and strengthen him; for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which you will see.’ 29 “So we stayed in the valley opposite Beth Peor." 
The New King James Version,  Deuteronomy 3:23–29

"But command Joshua, and encourage him and strengthen him"

As I walk through more and more "lasts" than "firsts" on my journey, the light declines but the hope never fades; the strength of the mind and the flesh decrease, but the joy of the Lord refreshes. For His promise is not a star hanging over the hopes I have built, but an endless expanse of galaxies beyond the living of this short life on this beautiful little spinning globe. If we think our trip up the mountain is about us crossing over, we might be sadly mistaken; those who come along after us are ones we should hope go far beyond our own footsteps.

May our stewardship of His grace leave something for others to build upon.

But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.” The New King James Version, Acts 9:15–16

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We ponder, "what if God doesn't" or "will He ever" or "when will it be?" Kind of a waste of time, but it seems God is gracious and listens, at least for awhile, as Job discovered. Staying in the conversation with Him is the lesson of the Wisdom books; listening is much more likely to change us. And it is my observation that Father is much more likely to be about changing us than our circumstances.

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. 
The New King James Version, John 14:27

"Let not your heart be troubled, neither let if be afraid.

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. 8 We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—
10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 11 For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So then death is working in us, but life in you. The New King James Version, 2 Corinthians 4:7–12.

So then death is working in us, but life in you.

"Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand, 
O You who save those who trust in You 
From those who rise up against them,"
The New King James Version, Psalms 17:7

It may not be the "show" you thought you were going to see. He may "save" in a way other than what we hope.

For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day. 
The New King James Version, 2 Timothy 1:12.

As I often say, our greatest battle in this life is time. The fact that we are "in this life" means time is our big strategic problem. "I have committed to Him until that Day," is the healthy, heartening reminder I need throughout my days: I must believe and become persuaded of this or else when "I also suffer," its incredibly easy to lose perspective and feel shame.

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 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. 
The New King James Version, Romans 5:1–5