Quick Route from Hopelessness to Hope

DAY SIX: Monday, October 20, 2008

Read Psalm 39:1-13

"So Lord, what hope do I have? You are my hope." Psalm 39:7

Former heavyweight boxer James (Quick) Tillis was a cowboy from Oklahoma who fought out of Chicago in the early 1980's. Years later, he still remembers his first day in the Windy City after his arrival from Tulsa.

"I got off the bus with two cardboard suitcases under my arms in downtown Chicago and stopped in front of the Sears Tower. I put my suitcases down and looked up at the Sears Tower and said to myself, "I'm going to conquer Chicago."

"When I looked down, my suitcases were gone."

David was having one of those days when he penned the 39th Psalm. In reference to hard times he asks God, "What hope do I have?" And quickly he answered his own question by declaring to God, "You are my hope!"

The 39th Psalm represents an intense struggle going on inside David's heart. He was transparent with God about how badly he felt about life's disappointments. He was wrestling with the issues we all confront. And he didn't try to bury his feelings.

It's okay for us to be transparent with God and admit that sometimes we struggle with maintaining a sense of hope. Sometimes we face disappointment at the very time we thought we would be experiencing great success and the fulfillment of our dreams. Our emotions tell us to give up. It's then that the quickest route to regaining hope is to go to God.

Action step for today: Tell God what makes you sad.