Failed Hope

How soon we forget.

In spite of all this, they went on sinning and had no faith in his wonderful works. So he brought their days to an end like a breath and their years in sudden terror. Whenever he slew them, they would seek him, and repent, and diligently search for God. They would remember that God was their rock, and the Most High God, their redeemer. But they flattered him with their mouths and lied to him with their tongues. Their heart was not steadfast toward him, and they were not faithful to his covenant. But he was so merciful that he forgave their sins and did not destroy them; many times he held back his anger and did not permit his wrath to be roused. For he remembered that they were but flesh, a breath that goes forth and does not return. - Psalm 78:32-39

Today's psalm bears a reminder that we are a sinful lot.

We probably don't need to be reminded of this, even if we find it difficult to accept at times.  We may not realize when we turn away from God, but we remember the circumstances under which we turn back to Him.

Usually it is when something scary lies before us, like a risky medical procedure, or when we face trauma or sadness, like when someone dear to us is in danger.

So long as we see there is hope, we cling to Him.  But what do we do when it looks like hope has failed?  Do we stay with God or drift away?

I would like to think that we desire to remain faithful, but it can get hard when it feels like God is failing us.

Maybe that's how God feels when we fail Him.

We don't think about God that way, that He has feelings for us and is more than disappointed when we drift away.  But He doesn't lose hope.

In this situation, we are the ones who give up, not God. 

When we as ourselves what good it does to keep hoping against hope, we are doubting God, and revealing something about ourselves and our faith.  Maybe we fear having too little faith for the healing to take place, and that would make it our fault.

So, it is better to give up rather than to keep trying and fail.  That may be how we thing.

And when we think that way, our hope has failed us.

Maybe we should look at ourselves the way we look at others.  Like Job's friends when he was being tormented, we tell our friends to have faith, to pray, to be hopeful.

Do we mean it?  Can we do it ourselves, when we are in need?

If we can't, maybe we should work on our faith, strengthen it with prayer and be ready for when difficulties come.  At some point, they will.

More to come...