Hope in times of despair

In discussing the state of the Jewish people, Paul rejects the idea that God had abandoned his people. To prove it, he reminds them of Elijah who complained, “Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me” (v. 3). And God’s answer was, “I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”
In other words; it may look bad, but remember, I am still in charge.”
         In times of difficulty we tend to lose hope. Our analysis of the situation leads us to think that whatever the problem, it’s still here and probably getting worse. That mindset does nothing, but to enlarge the problem. Elijah had run away and was hiding in a cave because Jezebel was threatening his life. They have killed the prophets,” he said, and “I am the only one left. Now they’re trying to kill me” (I Kings 19:10, 14).
         Where there is no hope the atmosphere grows dark. What’s needed is for hope to spring anew in our experience. Without confidence in the future we are trapped in the discouragement of today. A contemporary author, Robert Fulghum, writes that “love is stronger than death” and that ”hope always triumphs over experience.” Elijah was bereft of all hope as he sat sulking in that cave on Mount Horeb. He needed to reflect that even in his dire situation – or should we say, specifically when hope is lost – one needs to remember that God is still in charge. Hope is a necessary ingredient in handling the perplexities of today’s world. To lose confidence in what you once held to be absolutely true is to enter the world of uncertainty. God being who is, especially in a difficult situation, one can’t question his helpful presence without undermining the confidence that brought you to Christ.
         So, if you are in a sort of Elijah–in-the-cave situation, take heart because, “hope does not put us to shame (Rom. 5.5), in fact, “since we have such a hope, we are very bold” (2 Cor. 3:12). While the Christian faith does not prevent us from making mistakes, it always helps those who will listen to find an answer. In connection with today’s international affairs, apart from hope we would have just cause to take our prayer shawl to the chapel and plead with God for divine protection. But because “God’s got it all in his hands,” as Johnny Watson sings, we can rejoice. To question God in the larger issues of life is to deny that he’s the one he claims to be. So, cheer up! There’s hope in Christ for the hopeless of this world. Join us in the songs of freedom.