Mini Bites 43.0

In hope he believed against hope...

Romans 4:18

Abraham had no child of his own when God said that he'll be the father of many nations.

It didn't make sense to Abraham because he and his wife were past the child-bearing age.

There was no hope in his circumstances, and he was resigned to the fact because he considered his servant as his heir.

In the natural, to hope for a child at the age of seventy-five did not make sense. Yet, in the certainty of that bleak space, God spoke into Abraham's reality and said, "I will make you into a father of many nations."

In that dark place, a promise glowed.

His circumstances didn't change; God's word made no sense. They were still the oldest couple around the block. The clock didn't turn back. When Hagar gave birth to Ishmael, Abraham's first son, God said no. The promise will be fulfilled through Sarah, his wife as He planned it, knowing full well about the situation of Sarah's out-of-work womb.

His circumstances didn't line up with what God said, so Abraham did the only thing he could do.

He rested inside the promise. He rested in what God said.

He planted himself in the only place that made sense: God's word.

That's what you have to do. When the world says no, but God says yes, you plant and cover yourself in His "Yes."

You hold on to His word when nothing else agrees because His word will come back, and it will come back fulfilled.

When your hope (the likely hope, the possible hope) in the natural runs out, this is when the impossible hope rises up to fill you.

The hope that stands against all sensibility.
The hope that opposes the facts.
The hope that says yes to the impossible.

When it shows up, hold on to the hope that is found in God's word.

Mini Bites 42.0

There's the sensible kind of hope:

the hope that is most likely to win,

the hope that stands a chance,

the hope that makes a whole lotta sense.

This is the hope that you and everyone 

around you can see.

Then there's the impossible hope.

The hope that rises up as the other kind is

buried beneath the odds,

The hope that has no type of sense

That has you snatching up all your marbles

Otherwise you'll be left feeling crazy,

and you don't want to be crazy.

No, you want to be like everyone else.

Sensible and attainable.

You want nothing to do with the hope that sees

beyond- beyond all the dwindling chances

and still hopes.

Because that kind of hope holds some serious standards,

and you cannot settle.

It won't let you settle; it won't set you down.

It waits, and you

You wait with it.

You two will wait.

Until the answer comes.

Required

Jeremiah 29:11  “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

As I end one semester and begin the next, the word requirement echoes in my mind. I currently teach Freshman Composition, a class required for students who are unable to opt out of it by testing. And as expected, some were somewhat reluctant to sit in a class that they felt was unnecessary in the overall arc of their future career.
And I don’t blame them. I was once a student, and even now as a teacher, I find myself hesitant to be in the classroom because I was not supposed to be here. I had plans but those plans have changed quite a bit since sitting at a student desk myself.
Some days, I would rather be anywhere else— but here I am, the shy, quiet girl teaching other people to write, which places me in a very uncomfortable position outside of my comfort zone: leading people in a skill that I’m not too confident in.
And the word requirement echoes in my mind: I may not know why, but I need to be here.
Although I don’t see how teaching fits into my vision for my life, I have to trust that it does fit into God’s. I have to trust that teaching isn’t a dreaded detour but an essential piece of the good plan that God has over my life.
And with that trust and with that faith, I can dig deep in the unexpected, uncomfortable place and receive all that God has for me here, now.
Where do you find yourself in this season? Does it seem out of step of where you envisioned yourself to be? Does it seem to be outside what you’re comfortable with?
Wherever you find yourself, remember that God is with you in this moment, and He won’t waste it. He will make this moment good like He promises in His word.
Whatever required season you are in, whether it’s a season of waiting or a season of challenges, God is with you, building something beautiful for the next one.
So do your best, dig deep and step out. God will make it good.​​