Maintaining hope in harsh times

The little boy on my school bus patiently waited for his turn to be dropped off at his driveway.

I was following a route description but was in unfamiliar territory, so I would ask certain children to tell me when their stop came up. He was only about seven years old and had been sitting near the front of the bus. Now these are big buses we drive and you cannot stop the bus on a dime so you have to start slowing down as you approach the stop. I asked him to let me know when his stop was coming up and he agreed.

Well, he was looking out his window and suddenly he saw his driveway, raised his arm and hollered: “Stop the bus!” By then I was well past his driveway but slowed down and finally came to a complete stop.

“You missed my stop, bus driver,” he said to me.

I apologized and then backed up a few feet when it was safe to do so and let him off. He seemed happy to be getting home after the long drive. I smiled to myself as he took command of the situation by shouting to me to stop the bus. He knew it was the right thing for him to do.

In the Book of Micah, chapter 7:7 the prophet said: “But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Saviour; my God will hear me.”

That little boy on the bus was watching in hope that I would let him off at his stop when his turn came up to do so. The prophet was heartbroken that his people, the Israelites, had turned away from the Lord. It was a very sad situation, for once they had been anchored in the Lord; they knew their source of happiness, that God, would never let them down. He had proven to them in their long walk to freedom from the Egyptians through the desert to their stop, the promised land of hope!

How soon they forgot God’s promise during the harsh times they were facing and had now turned away from the hope of their salvation and delivery. Micah cried before the Lord, “What misery is mine! The faithful have been swept from the land; not one upright person remains.” (Micah 7:1-2) It seemed to them that their bus driver, the Lord Almighty, had forgotten them and missed their stop.

During the challenging times of our lives we are to look to the God of our salvation, the source of our hope, Jesus Christ our deliverer, who is mighty to save and even mightier to keep us safe in times of trouble. Though the circumstances confronting us seem to overwhelm us completely, we are to remain anchored in the Lord to keep us steadfast throughout the harsh times along life’s journey.

Where would we be without hope? Do we forget at times that God has a plan for each one of His children to follow and His route description marked out personally with our name on it has been a tried and tested plan of success if we are willing to follow that plan? Of course, the choice is ours to follow — the same choice that the Israelites had in Micah’s time. They allowed the harsh times to overwhelm them and they gave up hope in the Lord.

However, Micah the Prophet of the Lord sent to offer them hope was anchored in God’s truth that He would not abandon them nor forsake them during their turbulent times. Micah knew personally where he stood when he said: “But as for me I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Saviour; my God will hear me.” (Micah 7:7)

The year 2018, for me, had been quite challenging and for others as well. However, during those times of loss, I did not lose my hope in the Lord that He would help me through the losses suffered and the same applies to each of us. God is an ever-present help in times of trouble. That is His promise and I know it to be true. The Psalmist David cried out: “Trust in the Lord with all your strength and lean not to your own understanding.” I claimed the promise as my own.

The New Year 2019 is now upon us and the path ahead has not yet been revealed to us. Let us step forth in faith and remain true to God’s promises as we wait for our God to guide us along the route He has laid out for us. There will be times of renewal and encouragement that God will send our way. Let’s be watching, waiting and praying so that we may weather whatever lies ahead. God will not fail to deliver us while we have hope.

The blessings of the Lord await us.