Hope When It Doesn’t Look Like Hope

But I pray to you, LORD, in the time of your favor; in your great love, O God, answer me with your sure salvation. Rescue me from the mire, do not let me sink; deliver me from those who hate me, from the deep waters. Do not let the floodwaters engulf me or the depths swallow me up or the pit close its mouth over me. Psalm 69:13-15 NIV

When hope doesn’t look like hope, what do you do? Hope might mean a 2.5-mile swim in shark-infested waters. Last Friday, that was what it looked like for 13-year-old Austin Appelbee when he, his mom, brother, and sister were having a last-minute swim off the shore near Quindalup, Australia, before heading home. Unexpected strong winds came up, sweeping them out into the ocean, farther from shore. Austin and his mother decided he should try to swim back to shore to get help for his family.

Austin reached the shore at sunset and called for help. After a large rescue effort, Austin’s family was located about 14 kilometers offshore. In an interview with the BBC, Austin reflected on the experience, saying, “that prayer, Christian songs, and thoughts of his family kept him going. I don’t think it was me who did it—it was God the whole time. I kept praying and praying, and I said to God, ‘I’ll get baptized, I’ll get baptized.”

Cerith Gardiner, writing about the incident, said, “Courage often looks like persistence, faith often sounds like a song half-remembered, and God’s presence is sometimes felt most clearly in the simple resolve to keep swimming—one stroke, one prayer, one hopeful thought at a time.”

Hope might mean standing before millions to show what God can do. Jelly Roll, a former convicted felon, was not the same man on stage Sunday night as he stood on the biggest stage in the music world to accept a Grammy Award. He credited Jesus Christ, who is “for everybody.” Jelly Roll walked onto the stage with a Bible in hand to accept the award for best contemporary country album, Beautifully Broken.

“First of all, Jesus, I hear you and I am listening, Lord! Second of all, I want to thank my beautiful wife. I would have never changed my life without you. I’d have ended up dead or in jail. I’d have killed myself if it wasn’t for you and Jesus. I thank you for that.”  Jelly Roll went on to say, “There was a time in my life when I was broken. That’s why I wrote this album. I didn’t think I had a chance, y‘all. There was days I thought the darkest things. I was a horrible human. … I believe that music had the power to change my life and God had the power to change my life.”  (Today.com)

He ended his speech by saying, “I want to tell y’all right now: Jesus is for everybody. Jesus is not owned by one political party. Jesus is not owned by no musical label. Jesus is Jesus and anybody can have a relationship with him. I love you, Lord.”

“This is what the Gospel does. God does not look for perfect people—He redeems broken ones. He meets people in jail cells, addiction, shame, failure, and despair, and He rewrites their stories. Jelly Roll’s life is living proof that your past does not disqualify you from God’s purpose. In fact, it often becomes the very platform God uses to display His power.” Craig Johnson

Hope might look like Jesus walking on water to rescue us. Storms will come up, and we realize life doesn’t always turn out the way we thought it would. We may find ourselves knee deep in sickness, job loss, marriage struggles, wayward children, or even the death of loved ones. Yet hope lives as we see Jesus walking towards us, hands held out. When the disciples saw Jesus walking towards them on the water, they were terrified. Jesus told them, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”  (Matthew 14:27)

Hope might look as if it will never come. Matthew records a powerful and moving narrative of a concerned mother for her daughter’s healing and Jesus. “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.” (15:22b) Jesus looked at her and told her not today, but she kept on asking. Please Jesus. I need your help. “Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.” (15:28)

“When God gives a vision and darkness follows, wait. God will make you in accordance with the vision He has given if you will wait His time. Never try and help God fulfill His word.” (Oswald Chambers)

Learning to wait is challenging. We live in a time when action is often valued more than patience. It’s probably less true than we think that God can only guide a moving object. We’ve often been told that God needs you to take the first step, and then He will guide your steps. Still, we must realize that waiting is not passive; it involves active trust. Allowing God to speak requires silence, which is a difficult discipline for many of us. In the waiting, we find hope and, much like the Canaanite woman, healing.

Hope may look different in every situation, but the one constant is Jesus, the ultimate hope. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13 NIV)

God is great!