Hope. This word is tossed around in everyday conversations, like ping pong balls on a tournament table. Perhaps you’ve said something like:
I hope I get that new job.
Man, I hope I win the lottery. I could sure use the money!
I sure do hope I get a new car. I hate my old clunker.
I hope the weather’s good this weekend since we’re going to the beach.
As believers and followers of Christ, where do we place our hope and trust when troubles and temptations come our way? Do we place our hope in a Twelve Step group, a church, trendy books, best friends, the latest fashions? Or, do we hope as the Psalmist, “Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you.” Psalm 143:8 (NIV)
At the ripe old age of three weeks, my parents took me to church, and I’ve been going ever since. They instilled in me a love for God and taught by example of His faithfulness. Church and faith have played an integral role in my life.
As an adult, though, my childhood faith was tested when I realized our son’s experimentation with drugs and alcohol was no longer an experiment. At age sixteen, Josh entered his first treatment center and overdosed three months after discharge. From that point forward, my faith was stretched like a rubber band, sometimes to the breaking point. I feared the nightmare would end badly.
On October 8, 2009, around 2:30 a.m., my mind wouldn’t shut off playing its various what-if vignettes. What if Josh gets caught buying pills? What if he overdoses and no one finds him in time? What if he gets caught stealing? What if? What if? What if?
I dragged myself from bed and went into our living room to watch TV and saw my Bible on the couch. I picked it up instead of the remote and opened to Jeremiah 30. Prior to this night, my daughter-in-law posted on Facebook: “Restoration Promised. Jeremiah 30 and 31.” Miraculously, I recalled her post and decided to read the two chapters.
Imagine my surprise when I saw the chapter heading of Jeremiah 30: Restoration is promised. Reading became difficult through the blur of tears as I soaked up verse after verse that filled my heart with hope for the first time in years.
I found hope that morning as I read Jeremiah 31:15-17. A warm blanket of peace draped over my shoulders as God’s Word burrowed its way into my weary heart. Here’s what He told me that morning:
“A voice is heard in Ramah, Riverview, FL
Mourning and great weeping,
Sharron Rachel weeping for her children, Josh,
and refusing to be comforted,
because her children are no more.”
This is what the Lord says:
Sharron,“Restrain your voice from weeping
and your eyes from tears,
for your work will be rewarded,”
declares the Lord.
“They will return from the land of the enemy.
so there is hope for your future,
declares the Lord.”
I personalized the verses by inserting the city where I live, my name and Josh’s name. I prayed these verses back to God, expecting He would fulfill them.
These verses became my Hope Hook. A hope hook is a figurative way of saying you’re hanging a loved one or a concern on the hook of God’s promises and, in faith, anticipating the outcome.
I didn’t know when or how Josh would come back from the land of the enemy—addiction— just that he would. I placed my son on this Hope Hook and waited for God to do what He does best—restore and renew.
On February 18, 2010, Josh entered the Center of Hope in Sarasota. He has been clean and sober since that day. Josh and his beautiful wife remarried on December 15, 2013, three and a half years after their divorce. God is indeed faithful.
Hope is one of my favorite words because it reminds me of God’s unending care in my life. I anticipate that He will fulfill His promises and that instills confidence in the future.
Do you have a loved one you need to place on a Hope Hook? Are there situations in your life over which you have no control that can be hung up for God to handle? “The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made.” Psalm 143:13b (NIV) Dig into His word, find your Hope Hook and place your concern on it. Wait patiently for the God of all hope to act on your behalf.
Blessings and hope for today.
Wait patiently for the God of all hope to act on your behalf @Grit_Grace @SharronCosby
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About Sharron K. Cosby:
Sharron Cosby is married to Dan, a Certified Addiction Professional, and together they have three adult children and five grandchildren. She works for an international charity by day and writes by night. Her passion is to share God’s message of hope, strength, and encouragement with families living in the shadow of addiction.
Learn more at erecoverychurch.com.
New from Sharron:
Watching someone you love self-destruct hurts.
Praying for Your Addicted Loved One: 90 in 90 tugs at the reader’s heart in 90 days of candid devotions aimed at offering strength, hope, and encouragement to families in the throes of living with an addicted family member. Families get left behind in the recovery process, but their support is crucial. Realizing you are not alone in your family’s struggles brings comfort and confidence to face day-by-day challenges. Reflection prompts and spaces for journaling encourage the reader to pen their thoughts on the verses and devotions. Each day’s entry ends with a prayer.
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