Whenever my boys feel shame or are uncomfortable, they’ll often look away or bury their head in their chest. If they’re wearing a hoodie, they’ll pull it over their head, as if trying to become invisible. I have a similar impulse. When I’m ashamed or feel vulnerable, defeated, or hopeless, it’s easy to try to hide. With my sons, I draw close to them and calmly say, “Look up at me. I need to see your eyes.”
Though this is not always true (sometimes I’m angry or frustrated), I hope that when my sons lock eyes with mine they’ll see my love for them. I hope that though they feel disheartened, they’ll encounter some grace in me that sparks hope and life within them.
Jesus stirred embers of hope and life within His disciples. Explaining that they would soon enter a crushing, despairing time, He gave the details of a coming apocalypse when the disciples’ lives would teeter on the edge. “The nations will be in turmoil, perplexed by the roaring seas,” Jesus warned (Luke 21:25). This will be a dire time when many will find it impossible to cling to hope. “People will be terrified at what they see coming upon the earth,” Jesus warned, “for the powers in the heavens will be shaken” (Luke 21:26).
And precisely at that impossible moment, Jesus assured, His disciples must “stand and look up, for [their] salvation is near!” (Luke 21:28). When we feel most fragile, most at risk, this is the time when we’re to cling most tenaciously to the promise of God’s rescue.
When our faith turns feeble and our prospects disintegrate, God tells us to lift up our heads and awaken our hope. We watch for Him, confidently expecting His deliverance.
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: John 20:24–21:14
More:
Read the parable of the fig tree in Luke 21:29-36. How does this story reflect Jesus’ teaching about raising our heads and awakening our hopes?
Next:
When have you felt deep despair in your life, and how did God sustain you during that time? Who is battling despair right now, and how can you help them awaken their hope in God?
Gary Shultz on October 1, 2016 at 6:26 am
Winn, thanks for bringing your sons into the post again. It is a trip back to those days; however, a good one, and it exemplifies the value of those relationships. Thank you for holding them dearly and investing the greater truths you have learned. As you point out, there are many reasons to be dejected. If it is wrong doing, that requires a little different process, but restoration just the same. If it is a loss of hope – truth, reality, or the vision of a person supplying help and hope. As it says we must be alert, pray, and strengthen ourselves as hard times unfold. May we stay fit to be able to extend a hand of hope to hurting souls. We have no greater hope then stand in God’s presence and allow Him to Father us. Thanks Winn
gagirllive on October 1, 2016 at 8:18 am
Amen, Gary. We do need to “stay fit to be able to extend a hand of hope to hurting souls”. Thank you for that, BWO.
sandy229 on October 1, 2016 at 12:09 pm
Yes, I know we are not the only ones waiting for our prodigal to return, there are many others. God is our only hope. He is always there for us to wipe away our tears, and keep us going when we think we can’t go on. We just need to pray for the others that are in the same status we are. BTW, I loved that story Winn, thanks for that.
gagirllive on October 1, 2016 at 8:12 am
Love the tender story about your sons, Winn. I have learned that I can always expect to find the Father’s heart toward us in your devotionals. Appreciate that. Your boys are blessed. I’ve heard it said that hope is the oxygen for the soul. That makes sense to me because in my most despairing moments it literally feels like I can’t breathe—like someone has sucked the air right out of my lungs. The circumstances? My prodigal son. I don’t want to be a broken record, as I have mentioned my heartbreak over him several times on the forum, but it’s pretty despairing. It’s not your “typical” waywardness that many go through. It’s deep waters that could cost him his life. There have been days I have felt so deflated, BUT GOD rescues me. He always does. Just as you tell your sons to lift their heads and look up to you, that’s exactly what my Father tells me too, and when I can’t lift it up, He lifts it for me. Psalm 3:3 says “But You, O LORD, are a shield for me, My glory and the lifter of my head.” Psalm 121: 1-2 says “I will lift up my eyes to the hills—from whence comes my help? My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.” Psalm 123: 1 says “Unto You I lift up my eyes, O You who dwell in the heavens. Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, until He has mercy on us.” As you know, Scripture is replete with this encouraging instruction. And how I praise Him for that! Looking to Him puts air back in my lungs—HOPE. There are days that I still feel hard-pressed on every side, but I’m not crushed. I’m still perplexed about things, but not so often in despair. I can attest to the fact that the God of hope fills me with all joy and peace AS I TRUST IN HIM so that I am able to overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13) Praise His Name! He is my Hope! Thanks for this encouragement today, Winn. A blessed weekend to everyone. ♡
sandy229 on October 1, 2016 at 12:00 pm
I’m with you sister in Christ. I think of a verse in Proverbs 13:12 about hope. We must never give up hope. ♡
twincitiesjim on October 1, 2016 at 7:57 pm
I will pray for you and your son. That is one of my greatest fears, that one of our kids will become a prodigal. So far they have been true to the faith, but they are still young. I hate to hear that you are going through this but am happy that you are trusting God. That is all we can do isn’t it.
gagirllive on October 1, 2016 at 9:10 pm
Thank you, twincitiesjim! Trusting God makes all the difference….as well as your prayers for which I am grateful!
Winn Collier on October 1, 2016 at 9:08 pm
Thank you, and that image of breathing is so true.
sim jing ying on October 1, 2016 at 9:29 am
I do felt despair when I was punished badly by my bad when I was younger but somehow God guided me into His presence, not only me but my whole family, the past cannot be change but the future can! I don’t know anyone who is battling with despair now but I do pray for all their well-being.
sim jing ying on October 1, 2016 at 9:30 am
my dad*
Gary Shultz on October 1, 2016 at 10:48 am
GG and I know Sandy too, with a little comment on a prodigal. I think there are many, at least I know of many families with son’s or daughters separated from God and parents. Some are just separated from God, not necessarily parents and vise-versa. I found great encouragement is this one fact, with multiple tentacles. You pray and pray, and I stepped back and asked myself, what are you doing? I am praying to God Almighty, He knows more than any other as to what is exactly going on, He knows exactly how this needs to be fixed, He knows exactly when it will be repaired and He loves my sons more then I ever could. He knows how to work people and events into their lives to make the greatest outcome. He is still the gentleman and allows free will to claw against His open hand of love, but He knows, He never moves away from caring and watching over them, He will be there when the hardness is cracked and He alone can heal……..All of this to say I no longer have knots about their care or outcome, you may think I’m nuts, but I now offer prayers of thanksgiving when I think of my sons. God Almighty is caring for them, and for that I am forever thankful, the burden is lifted and I join God with great reliance in prayers of thanks. I hope this is understandable. But, you’re still smarter then I am GG, you’re a Godly lady.
gagirllive on October 1, 2016 at 11:08 am
Thank you for that encouragement, Gary. “Amen” to everything you’ve said. I often pray some of the very words you’ve used here. I’m there most days, but every now and then I still need to be reminded in a big way that “God’s got this.” You know, you’re way too young to be my grandpa, but when I read your posts, I always feel like you are. 🙂 Thanks, BWO.
sandy229 on October 1, 2016 at 12:05 pm
I know, huh? Gary has such good advice, it almost feels like it’s coming from Grandpa.
Shalom to all
sandy229 on October 1, 2016 at 12:04 pm
Thank you for your words of encouragement Gary. This really means a lot to both of us! I know He never moves away from caring about us and we just have to trust in Him, there is no better way.
jef on October 1, 2016 at 1:53 pm
Amen! He knows the when, how and the in between. Thanks Gary.
lfdave on October 1, 2016 at 1:53 pm
This is our story… After ‘The Fall’ or original sin what did Adam and Eve do but hide in the garden and the Lord called to them. Why did they hide? They were either afraid or ashamed…
As I was growing up I’d often hear “they should be ashamed of themselves” or directed directly at me “YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF!” wonder if any others did…
What does God want us to do but to look him in the eye and see His LOVE for us! We do this when we confess our sins to him… We also do this when we go to the one, or ones, whom we wronged look them in the eye and say I am sorry. Forgiveness with God is (70 x 7) we can return to him again and again. Sometimes with people we have a limited # of times of screwing up!
I as Paul sometimes do the very thing I aught not to do… and can’t do what I should yet also I like Paul am a forgiven child of God. Thank and ever so thankful a forgiven part of my family… a living example of GRACE given
gagirllive on October 1, 2016 at 3:36 pm
Amen, lfdave! There is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8: 1) Thanks for your insights on this!