Be Strong, Take Heart, Have Hope | Qualities of Women Who Trust Jesus
“Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.” —Psalm 31:24
Understanding why is a huge part of life. We’re born with a natural curiosity that isn’t satisfied until we discover the reason behind whatever it is we’re experiencing. We see it in the 4 year-old who asks Why? a hundred times a day or the middle schooler who seems to challenge everything we say. Like us, they’re grasping to understand the purpose behind it all.
Harvard researchers have found that understanding why is not only good for our mental health but can increase our physical stamina as well. A study of Americans ages 50 and up measured physical resilience during the aging process. “Adults with a higher sense of purpose in life were found to have a decreased risk of developing weak grip strength and slow walking speed” (Mejia, 2017).
God knows that it’s healthy for us to understand why, and despite the fact that He doesn’t owe us any explanations, he’s so gracious to provide them anyway. God inspired David— a great king in ancient Israelite history— to pen these stirring words at the end of Psalm 31: Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.
If you’re like me, though, there are days when you read a scripture like that and your honest response is … “But why? Why should I put my hope in you, Lord?” When life is crushing us like beans in a coffee grinder, it can be hard to remember what God has done for us, let alone believe that He’ll do it again. Thankfully, earlier in Psalm 31, David lists out a few reasons why we should put our hope in the Lord.
14 reasons to hope in the Lord from Psalm 31:
He is a rock and a fortress (v3). Translation: God is our source of stability when all around us is shifting and uncertain.
He is a refuge (v4). God protects us from danger.
He is a faithful God (v5). God is dependable and will come through for us.
His love causes us to rejoice (v7). God’s love is so personal and fulfilling, that it sparks joy in us. Marie Kondo has nothing on God.
He sees our affliction and knows the anguish of our souls (v7). God sees us and is empathetic to our emotional pain.
He doesn’t hand us over to our enemies (v8). Nothing would cause God to betray us.
He sets our feet in a spacious place (v8). God gets us out of tight spots and provides us with room to breathe.
He holds my times in His hands (v15). Nothing escapes God’s control — my sicknesses, my failures, all the days of my life from start to finish are within His loving, protective grasp.
He stores up good things for those who fear Him (v19). God is actively and abundantly stacking up good things for us, even when we can’t see it.
He hides us from all human intrigues (v20). God’s presence is a secret place where unfavorable plots against us can’t do us harm.
He keeps us safe from accusing tongues (v20). Accusing voices — from the outside or from inside our own heads— can’t hurt us when we’re listening to what God says about us.
He shows the wonders of His love (v21). Even when we’re in highly stressful situations, God clears the mist and give us beautiful glimpses of His sustaining love.
He hears our cries for mercy (v22). The God of the universe, who’s probably kinda busy, stops everything to listen to each of us when we call out to Him.
He preserves those who are true to Him (v23). God sustains us when we’re weary and guards us when we’re vulnerable (which is always).
If you and I are alike, we quickly forget these truths about God’s character and faithfulness. No wonder we lose hope and struggle to find joy and peace within our daily lives. Our minds are all over the place, distracted and divided. Praise God for His word that reminds us who He is! Thank God for His Holy Spirit, who remind us of what the word says and fills us with hope to go on.
Psalm 31 provides these 14 robust reasons why we hope in the Lord, but the fact is that there are a thousand more reasons if we have eyes to see them. It’s okay to lean in to your natural curiosity, to ask God why, to wonder about the reasons behind your pain. But more importantly, it’s okay to remind yourself of why your hope is in the Lord. We are His daughters: strong, trusting and full of hope!
REFERENCES:
Mejia, Zameena. “Harvard Researchers Say This Mental Shift Will Help You Live a Longer, Healthier Life.”cnbc.com, 2017, https://www.cnbc.com/2017/11/21/harvard-researchers-say-a-purpose-leads-to-longer-healthier-life.html.
For Your Journal
Find It:
In this portion of your journal, write out a Bible verse. You can find a verse that fits a current life situation or use the one we used in today’s devotion.
“Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.” —Psalm 31:24
Fix It:
In this portion of your journal, pull out a few key words from the verse you chose above, or summarize the verse in your own words. Write it in pretty lettering or sketch something that will help you visualize the meaning of the verse and fix it in your mind. Repeat these words to yourself throughout the week to remind you of the truth contained in the scripture. Here are some options:
When I place my hope in the Lord, my heart is strengthened.
be strong + take heart
My hope is in the Lord.
Feel It:
In this portion of your journal, write out a prayer. The goal is to absorb the meaning of the Bible passage and let it take root in your heart. Ask the Lord to let his word change you by the power of his Spirit so that you begin to feel like the new person you’re becoming in Christ. Surrender any areas of your life that you are trying to control.
Father, you are my rock and fortress, my refuge and hiding place from harm. You hear my cries and you preserve my life. I believe that even when things don’t go my way, or prayers are answered differently than I pictured, you still hold me together, empathizing with my pain. You have good things in store for me and when I feel like I’m suffocating, you set me out in the open where I can breathe easy. For these reasons and so many more, I choose to hope in you today. Not in my circumstances, not in my imagination of how things could turn out for my good, but in YOU. May the hope I have in you cause others to find hope in you as well. In your Name, Amen.