By Judy Villanueva

So I want you to realize that the Lord your God is God. He is the faithful God. He keeps his covenant for all time to come. He keeps it with those who love him and obey his commandments. He shows them his love. (Deuteronomy 7:9)

I once heard a delightful story of a little boy who is discovered by his mother in a barn shoveling manure.  She sees the sweat on his brow and hears the fullness of his breath as he scoops and throws manure through the air.  When she finally asks what on earth he is doing, he responds, “Where there’s manure, there is sure to be a pony!”  I love this story because it points my face at the beauty of hope!  It also makes me smile because it reminds me of my husband.  He, even in the most dismal of circumstances, keeps on shoveling convinced that a pony awaits his discovery!  I love the hope with which he engages the challenges that face him, even when he’s tired.  It is inspiring to watch a person persevere under trial with hope.  It seems to push them from behind toward their dreams.  As I think more about it, I realize that hope is more than an attitude or feeling.  

It’s a GRACE, a fountain that springs up from the reality of a Hope Giver!  

Hope lives within us, like a friend who prompts us to dream with God and catch the vision He has for our lives.  It is a light that shines in our souls, a song that wants us to remember our Faithful King.  Can you feel it?  Look around and you will see evidence of a majestic Dreamer!  Slow down and awaken to the the song that Hope sings within you.  It’s a melody of promise grounded in our promise-keeping God! There are others songs, as we all know, that intrude with sour notes on our ability to feel hopeful.  Pain and disappointment, loneliness and loss can effectively drown out our “hope songs”. 

But, HOPE LIVES, not in our power to muster a positive thought but in the heart of TRUE LOVE, our faithful God, who cannot be drowned out. 

He is the author, heartbeat and fountain — the WHO, WHAT AND HOW of hope!  So, how do we refresh our hope fountains?

Have you ever studied the names of God?  Each one is a revelation of His face and whenever we point our face at His we are joined to a powerful river of hope!  Deuteronomy 7:9 reveals a name of God only mentioned once or twice in Scripture.  

It is “Ha’El hanne’eman” and it means, “The one true God is faithful.”  

Words cannot capture the magnitude of this divine name but if I were to add a few they would be,  “ALMIGHTY, FAITHFUL, TRUSTWORTHY and TRUE.“  Stop for just a minute, and let the power of His name touch you!  Breath in, “The One True God,” Breath out, “is faithful.” And, God has more names!  His name “El Roi” means “the God who sees me”, “Yahweh shalom” means “the God of peace,”  “Jehovah Jireh” means “God, our provider,” and the  most intimate name of God, “Abba,” means “Daddy Father.”  

Hope stirs in the presence of God and becomes a flow of life inside us, but we must sit now and then, and look at His face.

How are your hopes doing?  Are they alive and  well?  Have they drifted off to sleep?  Have they been crushed or buried?  Then, get out your shovel and with God’s help, dig because there is indeed a treasure waiting to be discovered and His name is Faithful and True! (Rev.19:11) Jesus IS the beauty of hope!  Point your face at His.  Listen to His words.  Follow where He leads you.  Trust Him with all your heart.  REJOICE  because Ha’El hanne’eman is here!

“Father, your name helps me to see you better and in seeing you better I feel hopeful!  Thank you for your faithfulness and love.  Help me to point my face at yours and fill my heart with hope. Amen.”

What about you?

Do you know the Hope-Giver who hopes for you?

How are your hopes doing?  Has life beaten and buried  them?

Do you need your hope fountain refreshed?  I pray the power of Ha’El hanne’eman over your life and ask that God will help you turn your face toward His.

Dig!

Worship