Hopeful Expectation

I have a dear friend, Meghann, who introduced me to the term “Sparkling Hope”. This term came up as we taught our Sunday kids church. We spent 2 years teaching the Old Testament in chronological order to our kids. There were times when the material was hard to understand for adults and more so for kids. As we worked through the details of a Faithful God and His unfaithful people, Meghann coined this phrase. Sparkling hope is that flicker of hope that excites the soul. It calls the heart to hope even in hopeless situations. It’s the fresh wind of spring after a long winter. The kind that makes you close your eyes to breathe in deeper and enjoy the hope that spring is coming. It’s hearing a child laugh with no reservation. The belly laughs that makes all the adults nearby laugh too. I hope that you know that “sparkling hope” I am talking about. It often catches us off guard. We weren’t looking for it in our mundane daily life but then out of no where this hope hits us. Raising our spirits, if only for a moment. Wouldn’t it be great to live in that space more often? Is there a hope that could bring us to that place more and more?

When Meghann and I were teaching the Old Testament, there were Sundays that you might browse the chapters and verses we were to cover and wonder how it wouldn’t be dark and dreary. But that is what’s so amazing about the Bible, when you stop reading a verse here and there, but rather read it throughly and even more, reading it chronologically, you see sparkling hope on every page, every chapter, every verse. It’s a book about hope. And not just hope but sparkling hope!

You may disagree but let me build my case. Life in the garden was perfect before Adam and Eve sinned. When God removed them from the garden it was so that He could provide hope for a future that would be redeemable. From the very first moment God reveals His plan to rescue mankind. He would provide One who would crush the deceiver. The deceiver who gave the idea to Eve. (Gen 4:15) God knew the way to heal the brokenness was providing the ultimate victor.

Jump to Abram. A man who’s name means exalted father but Abram had no children. God speaks to Abram and tells him to follow Him, away from all Abram had known, into a new land and God would bless the entire world through Abram. At one point, many years after Abram had been following God, God reminds him of this promise. Abram points out that it’s difficult to bless the world when Abram’s seed will die with him. God again promises to bless the world through Abram and changes his name to Abraham, which means “father of many”. I’m sure Abraham wondered how all of that would happen since he was 99 years old by then. But wouldn’t you know it, God’s promise came to pass and Abraham has a son. And though this son, Isaac, the nation of Israel is born.

The people of Israel go through many ups and downs. They struggle to follow God fully. God continues to be faithful but also allows them to make their own decisions and helping them to understand the consequences. Hundreds of years pass with the people of Israel seeing God bless them and continue to promise the One who will set all things new and bring salvation. The people also saw hardship, and discipline due to their hearts not fully trusting in God alone. They wanted to follow other gods like the nations around them. Although Israel was unfaithful, God remained faithful to His people. Through all the seasons God provided for His people. He continued to provide an opportunity for relationship and He always gave hope for the future promise, that had nothing to do with the people themselves. The promise would come to the Israelites but not because they earned it or were more special than others but simply because God wanted to bless them. Through dark times and blessed times, God continues to weave sparkling hope through His word to His people. It became a defining factor of the people of Israel; those awaiting the promised redeemer.

One of the most quoted Old Testament prophets was Isaiah. A prophets job was not always easy. They had to be bold enough to call people out on their sin. They often shared difficult words to a people who may or may not respond well. Isaiah shared plenty of difficult words but he also shared some of the most hope fill words. He tells of difficult days to come for Israel. Ones with captivity, destruction of their communities and temples. But in his message, Isaiah tells the people, God is with you and the redeemer is coming. When you go into captivity, rest and settle. God promised peace and a prospering of Israel, even in captivity. And when time had passed, Israel would return to their home lands. He tells of a redeemer who will save the people from their sins. (Isaiah 48:17) He will tenderly care for them like a shepherd cares for his flock. (Isaiah 40:11) He will help them every step of the way. (Isaiah 41:13-14) Sparkling hope is sprinkled throughout every message. Psalm 33:18 But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love. God’s love was their hope. He had been faithful and provided over and over. He affirmed His love for them from beginning to end.

Then the Promise comes. The New Testament opens with Jesus’ birth. We see quickly that He is the promise God was speaking of. The redeemer, shepherd, and hope for all of humanity. The question that was so hard for Israel to understand was, “how will the Messiah rescue us from our enemies unless He takes the throne?”. Israel thought that Jesus would over throw their enemies and restore the kingdom of Israel. How limited their vision was! Jesus didn’t come to give them hope in a kingdom on Earth but an eternal kingdom. Each word Jesus spoke was pointing them beyond hope for today. He spoke with sparkling hope that never ends. Hope that fills our hearts with peace in troubled times. He set people free from physical and spiritual bondage all the while pointing them to a time of freedom from all infirmities. He spoke of a kingdom that never ends and with it freedom from sin, death, shame, and fear. He came to give life and life abundantly! Those who listened and took Jesus at His word saw with new eyes, a hope that has no end.

You see if all we have is what we see today, then life if hopeless. There is no meaning to the pain, suffering, even joy and peace have no meaning because it’s momentary. But when we place our hope in the love of a Savior who promises us life eternal AND redemption in our circumstances here on earth, then sparkling hope arises. If all that God promised was salvation and redemption for our time after we die, then wouldn’t that have been enough? To know that my eternity is secure, that would be a promise that is amazing and one I love to have. But when my God, the God of sparkling hope promises to be there in my everyday; create joy when there is sorrow, peace in the chaos, redeem my brokenness and make it something beautiful, that is amazing! He gives more than we can ask.

Looking at the New Testament. Jesus time on earth was spent sharing the hope in the eternal and hope in the everyday. Salvation would have been sufficient for Him to offer, healing our souls, but he gave physical, mental, social, spiritual healing as well. He abundantly provided for the people! He came to give life and that abundantly. (John 10:10) We will have hardships and adversity here on earth but in that adversity God shows up – big time – to pour out his love. Abundant comfort, peace, love, forgiveness, mercy, grace. I have walked many hard seasons of life. Most of my own making but there have been several that I have no reason for. But in either type of situation, God has given more than I deserved and healed in ways I never expected. It’s all in how we allow Him to work and move in us. It’s all perspective. Jesus came to offer us hope for today and tomorrow. He wants us to live in expectation of sparkling hope everyday. He loves to show up in those unexpected moments and cause us to breath deeply, taking in all that He has to offer. So the question; do you have sparkling hope or are there areas of your life are under a lie? My God is ready to meet you were you are and show you how to remove those lies and replace it with truth and sparkling hope.