Blog

Posted on

Bible Verses about hope

The new testament has two words that are translated as hope which are elpis (Strong’s number 1680) and elipzo (1679). The first word for hope (elpis) was used 53 times while the other (elipzo) was used 31 times. [Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible and Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary]

I have decided to use the World English Bible because it is in the public domain. I do not recommend it as the best Bible version or anything like that.

Yahweh looks from heaven. He sees all the sons of men. From the place of his habitation he looks out on all inhabitants of the earth, he who fashions all of their hearts; and he considers all of their works. There is no king saved by the multitude of an army. A mighty man is not delivered by great strength. A horse is a vain thing for safety, neither does he deliver any by his great power. Behold, Yahweh’s eye is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his loving kindness; to deliver their soul from death, to keep them alive in famine. Our soul has waited for Yahweh. He is our help and our shield. For our heart rejoices in him, because we have trusted in his holy name. Let your loving kindness be on us, Yahweh, since we hoped in you.  (Psalm 33:13-22, WEB)

Why are you in despair, my soul? Why are you disturbed within me?  Hope in God! For I shall still praise him for the saving help of presence. My God, my soul is in despair within me. Therefore I remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon, from the hill Mizar.  (Psalm 42:5-6, WEB)

Why are you in despair, my soul? Why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God! For I shall still praise him, the saving help of my countenance and my God. (Psalm 42:11, WEB)

Why are you in despair, my soul? Why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God! For I shall still praise him, my Savior, my helper, and my God. (Psalm 43:5, WEB)

For Yahweh says, “After seventy years are accomplished for Babylon, I will visit you and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you,” says Yahweh, “thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope and a future. You shall call on me, and you shall go and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You shall seek, and find me, when you search for me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” says Yahweh, “and I will turn again your captivity, and I will gather you from all the places where I have driven you,” says Yahweh. “I will bring you again to the place from where I caused you to be carried away captive.” (Jeremiah 29:10-14, WEB)

Remember my affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall. My soul still remembers them, and is bowed down within me. This I recall to my mind; therefore I have hope. It is because of Yahweh’s loving kindnesses that we are not consumed, because his compassion doesn’t fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “Yahweh is my portion,” says my soul. “Therefore I will hope in him.” Yahweh is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that a man should hope and quietly wait for the salvation of Yahweh. (Lamentations 3:19-26, WEB)

Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we also have our access by faith into this grace in which we stand. We rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only this, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces perseverance, and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope: and hope doesn’t disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has given to us. (Romans 5:1-5, WEB)

Let love be without hypocrisy, Abhor that which is evil. Cling to that which is good. In love of the brothers be tenderly affectionate to one another; in honor preferring one another; not lagging in diligence; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord rejoicing in hope; enduring in troubles; continuing steadfastly in prayer; contributing to the needs of the saints; given to hospitality. (Romans 12:9-13, WEB)

Now may the God of hope fill all you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope, in the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13, WEB)

Charge those who are rich in this present world that they not be haughty, nor have their hope set on the uncertainty of riches, but on the living God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy; that they do good, that they be rich in good works, that they be ready to distribute, willing to communicate, laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold of eternal life.  (1 Timothy 6:17-19, WEB)

Now faith is assurance of things hoped for, proof of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1, WEB)

Posted on

Bible Characters who begged God to take their lives: Moses

I would like to begin this blogging adventure with a series about Bible heroes who begged God to take their lives.

There was a year when I begged God to not let me see the new year. So, I find it very wonderful to see that even Bible heroes have done this.

My first Bible character will be Moses. He did many great things in his life including confronting Pharoah who was the most powerful man in the world. He was able to command someone to kill another. He had the Israelites in slavery. Yet, Moses confronted him under the guidance of God.

Later in his life, he felt so overwhelmed by his responsibilities that he begged God to take his life.

Why have you treated your servant so badly? Why have I not found favor in your sight, that you lay the burden of all this people on me? Did I conceive all this people? Did I give birth to them, that you should say to me, “Carry them in your bosom. as a nurse carries a sucking child, to the land that you promised on oath to their ancestors?” Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they come weeping to me and say, “Give us meat to eat!” I am not able to carry all this people alone, for they are too heavy for me. If this is the way you are going to treat me, put me to death at once-if I have found favor in your sight-and do not let me see my misery. (Numbers 11:11-15)

Shocker: Those who have or are currently begging God to take their lives are not alone. Moses and I have also done this.

Moses felt overwhelmed by the demands of the Israelites. They demanded meat. While Moses remembered getting water out of a rock, crossing a river on dry ground and other miracles, he couldn’t see a solution.

How did God respond? I suspect some Christians would say, “Study your Bible more”, “pray more’ or maybe accuse him of having weak faith. Did God say anything like this? No. He provided meat for the Israelites with meat and told Moses to select elders to help him in his administrative duties.

Shocker two: God told him to get help from others in the community. If you feel overwhelmed, God might be encouraging you to find someone whom you can trust to share your struggles with. 

 

Posted on

Introducing me

This is me on a mission trip to Texas to help re-build after Hurricane Harvey.

Before I started school, my mom divorced my dad. A few years later, my mom married my step-father. While he loved me, he mistreated me. He yelled at me.

I blamed myself for his behavior. I thought that I had made him lose his temper. I suspect that sounds very familiar to some of you. It took me a long time to realize that he mistreated me.

My classmates picked on me too. Here are a few snippets of that.

Notes that say things like “Satan has his eyes on you.”

One time, a boy was throwing peaches at me during lunch. I ended up throwing away the food that the peach landed in.

I spent a lot of my recesses standing next to the teacher with my best friend, A.

One time a workbook disappeared from my desk and re-appeared at the end of the school year. I had to buy a new one.

At college, I feared that I was too stupid to go to college. Good grades weren’t enough evidence to disprove this belief. This was the first time that I saw a psychologist (diagnosis: dysthymic disorder)

My first depressive episode included fearing monsters coming out of my shower drain. I knew that the monsters were not real but couldn’t get rid of the thinking. I have wondered if this thinking was psychotic features that can be found in depression. The psychiatrist dodged this question. I never had the guts to ask my therapist though.  Gross images of me having stabbed my cat also popped into my mind.

Sometimes, I sat on the couch without moving. “Move, T.” I would blink my eyeballs. “There I moved.” During these moments, my heart rate seemed to be very fast and my mind seemed to be thinking really hard. But I wasn’t aware of any deep thoughts.

During my first depressive episode, I started taking anti-depressants. I still remember when my therapist said that maybe I had broken my brain.

I wish I could say that I am all better now. But, recovery doesn’t work that way. I feel perfectly normal and happy some days. While I feel overwhelmed on other days.