My Hope Is Gone

Scripture

My days have passed; my plans have failed; my hope is gone.

~Job 17:11, GNT

Quote

Sometimes when things seem to be falling a part, they are actually falling in place.

~Image Quotes

Romans 8:28 is a favorite verse for a lot of people, And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. To work together is one word in the Greek, synergeō from which we get the word synergy. It is used four other times in the N.T. {Mark 16:20, 1 Co.16:16, 2 Co. 6:1 and James 2:22}. God has the uncanny ability to make all things, good and bad, work together for our good and His glory.

Job was in despair. He lost all ten of his children 1n one horrific day. To make bad matters worse, he also lost his health, his home and the respect of his community. He cried out to God but heaven was silent. With one negative thing after another coming upon him like a flood, he gave way to despair and in his despair he said, My days have passed; my plans have failed; my hope is gone.

I am so glad that Job did not have the last word. Although he was giving up on life and merely waiting to die, God had other plans. Just remember, “It aint so until Jesus says it so and when Jesus says it’s so, it is so whether or not you think it is so.” 

We left home in the fall of 1971, moving to New Orleans so I could attend seminary. I left behind a lot of family and friends, some who were lost. I prayed for one in particular but finally gave up. I don’t think I spoke my thoughts but in my mind, I thought the door of mercy had closed. In the Summer of 1974, I got the glorious news that he had been saved. A fine laymen influenced him to Christ.

This taught me a valuable lesson: sometimes we look at outward circumstances and we think there is no hope but this is not our call. Palms 146:5 comes to mind, But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the Lord their God.

• Good trip to Montgomery yesterday. DBC was represented by seven but it should have been seventy. It was a special moment and a tremendous blessing to be in a crowd of people who unashamedly love Jesus and have a spirit of brokenness and repentance. I listened and wept. I would guess there was from three to four thousand in attendance but had it been an Alabama or Auburn football game, there would have been 100,000. Our indifference and apathy are appalling.
• Dogwood Winter keeps hanging around: too cold for plants to grow and too wet to mow or plow but it could be worse, a lot worse.
• Looking forward to May 8th and our Mother’s Day special with Kenny Evans of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

Kenny Evans our Special Guest on Mother’s Day