Thursday, July 7, 2016

Hope

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“May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope is in you.”
Psalm 25:21 (NIV)

            David pens these words in a very beautiful entreaty to the LORD. Early in the chapter, David speaks of his trust in God.
           
            He asks for God’s guidance and teaching. The shepherd king requests that the Lord remember His great mercy and love. Then David asks God not to remember his sins from his youth.
            He asks God not to remember his great iniquity for His own sake. He then asks God, “Who then fears the LORD.” (verse 12) His answer to his own question is excellent,” The Lord confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to him.”

            Our focus verse tells me what David desires more than anything; integrity and uprightness.

            Integrity means simplicity or sincerity. When a person has integrity, he or she is a person whose word can be trusted. When I attended a 12-step program, I heard someone say, “Say what you mean, and mean what you say.” This was good advice then and is even in these times.
 
            Sincerity The Middle French thought it meant clean, pure and sound.1 Several years ago, I read that the word sincerity came from a Latin phrase that translated as, “without wax.” 2 However, I have found this to be a disputable meaning. Simply stated, when we are sincere, we are real and not joking around.

            David tells his readers that his hope is in the LORD.

            Where is our hope? In our 21st Century society, we see people whose hope is in things of this world. I remember reading about a professional football player speaking at a banquet and asking, “If things in your life turned around and you lost everything, would Jesus be enough?”
           
            If our hope is in Him, He would be enough to carry us through our difficulties.

2.Ob.Cit.

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