Details of Hope

Monday Morning Commentary

This week, Pastor Chad brought us the final message in our November series “Details of Hope”. There are times and seasons in our life when we have to look a little harder to find hope, but if we will slow down and look, we will find that the Father always leaves details that will restore our hope. That will often mean waiting out the darkness that we find ourselves in because that darkness can hide the details that we need to see. It will mean waiting for the Light of Truth to dawn in our season so that we can see more clearly and so that we can walk in hope. 

As followers of Jesus, we are people of hope and our lives should be marked by that hope. It should be evident in our lives, even in our darkest and most difficult times. Pastor Chad gave us three examples of evidence that we are living a hopeful life. 

1. When we are hopeful, we praise! 

We praise because our lives are grounded in Jesus! Scripture tells us that He has 

overcome the world (John 16:33). We know that He has overcome death. Jeremiah 17 

tells us that Jesus is our hope and that He is our praise. Jesus is alive! He is 

seated at the right hand of the Father. And He is active in our lives! That is the source of our hope. We praise because our hope is not based on our circumstances. 

2. When we are hopeful, we are prisoners. 

Often, dark and difficult circumstances can look and feel like a prison. It can seem like 

there is no way out, no path to resolution. But as followers of Jesus, we are not prisoners to our circumstances. We are held captive by our hope in Him. We hold on to promises and we wait for His deliverance. We look for the details that will remind us that this is not the end. 

3. When we are hopeful, we persist. 

When we find ourselves in dark, difficult circumstances, a hopeful life is marked by 

persistence. We persist in forgiveness, because we know that Jesus is in control and 

that He is working things together even when we can’t see it (Romans 8:28-29). We 

persist in purification; in becoming more like Jesus. The hope that we will one day see 

Him and know Him fully causes us to examine ourselves and rid ourselves of anything 

that could stand between us (1 John 3:2-3) And, like the widow in Luke 18:1-8, we 

persist in prayer, knowing that He hears and will move on our behalf. 

The Father is aware of us, of our lives. He is a God of details and, if we will slow down and look, we will find hope in His details. 

Selah (pause and consider in His presence): 

• Are there details in your circumstances that you may have overlooked? Can you see His hand 

• at work? 

• Are there evidences of hopeful living in your life? 

• Can you praise even before you see an answer? 

• Are you held captive by His promises? 

• Will you persist in moving forward even as you wait?