...hope

"Lord, you know the hopes of the helpless. Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them." (Psalm 10:17 NLT)

"The hopes of the helpless." Interesting phrase don't you think? What are the hopes of the helpless? Help. Escape. Relief. Freedom. Deliverance. Strength. Energy. Light. Refreshment. Revival. Renewal. Dreams. "Immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine."

"The hopes of the helpless." Would those descriptive words apply to you? Weak. Weary. Worn-down. Restless. Barely holding on. Holding on to hope even though there are times you wonder why? Hoping that something totally beyond your power and beyond your comprehension will happen. Hope that something will bring about a change. Hope that something will happen that you have never even dreamed of... something "out of the blue."

A hope of the helpless might involve the doctor coming into your hospital room with a puzzled look on his face saying, "The tumor is gone. We can't explain it, but it's gone."

A hope of the helpless might be waking up in the middle of the night concerned about your husband but not sure there is anything you can do to encourage him or lift his spirits.

A hope of the helpless might take the shape of accidently bumping into the professor of the class you're struggling in and having him say, "I think you can do this. Just don't give up."

A hope of the helpless might come from meeting a new family after they visited your church and hearing them say, "We loved it! We want to be involved."

The hopes of the helpless may come in all shapes and sizes that surfaces at the least expected time. The hopes of the helpless may come at a time when you feel totally drained. The hopes of the helpless may come may come at a time when you wonder if there is any reason to hang on to your hope.

According to David there are at least three reasons for the helpless to have hope.

First, the Lord knows the hopes of the helpless.

The Lord knows what you are going through. He knows the pain you are feeling. He knows that the pain has been with you for longer than you can remember. He knows that you have exhausted yourself trying to fix things, restore things, and rebuild things. He knows you feel helpless.

Second, the Lord hears the cries of the helpless.

He hears your heart. He hears the words that you cannot speak. He hears voice inside you crying out for help. He hears the cries for an end to the suffering.

Third, the Lord comforts the helpless.

Not only does He know the hopes of the helpless and hear their cries, but He also comforts them. There may be no human way to describe this comfort from the Lord, but when you experience it, you will know it. You will have no doubt about the One who providing the comfort. It will be clear that your hopes are known and your cries are being heard.

He knows. He hears. He comforts. There is hope for the helpless.

-tom norvell