I’ve been on a roller- coaster. No, not at the local amusement park. (That’s a joke appreciated only by those who know the area where I live!) Rather, I’ve found myself on an emotional roller coaster.
I’ve been praying about my future, knowing my hope is in God. When I see favorable circumstances developing, I experience surges of hope. Hope that maybe God is answering my prayers this way… or that way. Those surges of hope can throw me onto an emotional roller coaster.
Here’s what happens. The hope I’ve placed in God begins to shift towards the developing circumstances. Then if those circumstances turn out NOT to be my answer, my hopes feel dashed and I’m tempted with despair and depression. Proverbs says it this way “hope deferred makes the heart sick.”
Dividing hope between God and circumstances is a form of double-mindedness. I say that my hope is in God, but I’m actually limiting and defining my hope by what I can see (circumstances). As the scripture writer James bluntly reminds me, “Such a person is double minded and unstable in all they do.”
I don’t believe I’m to shun hope when circumstances appear good. But I do need to keep that hope God-centered. Then, while I will certainly feel disappointment if the circumstances come to nothing, my core foundation of hope will remain solid.
Much, much easier said than done.
I suspect (OK, I KNOW) that this pattern of divided hope permeates much of my life. But I’m hopeful! This morning my hope got shaken. For a few minutes I felt despair. Then I “heard” that still small voice of God asking me “does this mean you give up hoping in Me?”
This time I answered “No”. This time I made the choice to keep hoping in God. This time I did not stay on the emotional roller coaster.
“Why my soul are you downcast….Put your hope in God.” Psalms 42:5
Want to read an intense confession of hope in God? Habakkuk 3: 17-18
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“I say that my hope is in God, but I’m actually limiting and defining my hope by what I can see (circumstances).” I’ve found so many times that God has a MUCH better plan than I can even begin to imagine. He’s so much more creative than we are, and He sees the big picture from beginning to end. When something doesn’t go the way we think it should (in all of our earthly wisdom 😉 ), it’s because He knows that outcome isn’t best for us.
We had a situation recently where God didn’t allow something to happen the way we thought it would. I wholeheartedly believe that God was protecting us from something going wrong with the scenario we had in mind and setting us up for something even better.
While that feels like a roller coaster, I’m glad it’s not like the one in your photo!
Jennifer, I think I need to frame and hang that roller coaster picture. Then, when I have one of “those days”, I can look at the picture and remind myself “It wasn’t as bad as it could have been” ! 🙂
Yes! At least your feet are on solid ground (both literally and spiritually!) and you’re not riding on creaky wood at 80 miles per hour.
not sure what to say other than I do want you to know I am reading your blogs and I am enjoying them.Your heartfelt confessions and testimonies are encouraging me and lifting.Living for Jesus and seeing things through HIS eyes helps me put life’s circumstances in a godly perspective,then as I keep seeking HIM, understanding comes into play.All I know is that I am to TRUST HIM!ANd in trusting HIM,I feel safe and secure because I know GOD only wants what is best for me.So I rest in that GOD has already planned my life so I die to self(which is so hard at times)and wait on HIS timing.And HIS timing is always right on time!The hymn “Trust and obey for there is no other way,to be happy in JESUS but to trust and obey:)and “What a friend we have in JESUS”and”Amazing Grace”Lifts me up to where I need to be!Thank you brother Mark for sharing:)
really enjoying what Jennifer has to say as well.Both of you are so inspirational.Blessings
psalm 34:7 The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear HIM,and delivereth them.