Psalm 123:1-4

Hope is a great blessing in our lives without which it would be easy to fall into despair.  The problem that many people have is that they place their hope on that which is unsure an insecure.  When our hope is wrapped up in the people or circumstances that surround us we are setting ourselves up for disaster.  Our hope must be on the Lord.  He must be our source of security and the true desire of our hearts.  In Him we will find contentment that does not depend on the circumstances of our lives. We must learn to lift up our eyes to the Lord and know that our help comes from Him and that our hope is wrapped up in Him.

WHEN OUR HOPE IS ON GOD WE WILL FIND CONTENTMENT: God is high above us in the heavens.  If we are to find our hope in Him we must lift our eyes up from the dirt and mud of our circumstances and look up to Him.  He is our Master and He is the One whom we should seek to please and serve.  When we look into the eyes of our Lord we will find kind and compassionate eyes that are ready and willing to forgive and to give us the hope that we so desperately need.  We must not allow the problems we face to keep us looking down and around.  God is our source of Hope and we must look up and find our contentment in Him.


WHEN OUR HOPE IS ON MAN WE WILL FIND CONTEMPT: We are surrounded by ungodly men who are full of pride and hatred.  If our hope is based upon gaining acceptance from them we will always be disappointed.  Men are, by nature, self-centered.  This causes them to look at all other men as competition and so in order to make themselves look better or feel better about themselves; they despise all other men.  They lift themselves up by pushing others down.  When we look at these men in hopes of gaining affirmation from them; we inevitably will only find contempt in their eyes.  Our hope must rest fully upon our wonderful God of mercy and compassion. 

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