Hope Passionately and Confidently

Out of the depths I cry to You, O LORD!
O Lord, hear my voice!. . .
I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in His word I hope . . .
Psalm 130:1,5 ESV

Life is full of choices and consequences. Every dilemma, each decision can evoke emotions from delight to disappointment. Actions range from selfish manipulation to self-less motivation, from seeking one's own desires to seeking God's will. Even the every day, ordinary responses to life bring either frustration or fulfillment. In the depths of disappointment and despair, God's promise of His Presence reassures. We cry out to God because He hears us, because He loves us, because He chooses us!

Eugene Peterson writes about this Psalm in A Long Obedience in the Same Direction:

"By setting the anguish out in the open and voicing it as a prayer, the psalm gives dignity to our suffering. . . Suffering is set squarely, openly, passionately before God. It is acknowledge and expressed. It is described and lived."

As we reflect on our suffering, consider the words of the psalmist and seek the LORD! When we cry out to the LORD while waiting for Him with hope, we become more authentic in our faith.  Peterson goes on to say, "Hope . . . means going about our assigned tasks, confident that God will provide the meaning and the conclusions." Getting lost in our suffering is not living our prayers. Authentic faith passionately lives before God trusting Him for necessary provisions. Authentic faith works through times of suffering, confident that God will provide the meaning and conclusions for His Glory! Live passionately and confidently in God. ~ dho

The LORD replied, "My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." Exodus 33:14