From Dashed Hope to Hope Restored
Dear Friends,
With the death of Jesus on that first Good Friday, his followers grieved and mourned not only for Jesus' death but also for the death of their hopes and dreams and the loss of purpose and meaning to their life. Their hopes were dashed, their dreams deflated and their purpose for living destroyed. All these things had been wrapped up in Jesus and who they thought he was and his purpose for coming. Even though Jesus had explained it to them, they had misunderstood him. They thought he had come to save them from the tyrannical rule of the Romans, they thought he was going to be their military leader. For 3 days they were grieving the loss of a loved one and they were in despair over all that they had lost. Two disciples on the road to Emmaus said to a stranger (they didn't at first realise it was Jesus in his new resurrection body) "We had hoped he was the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel. This all happened three days ago." Luke 24:21 (NLT) You can read the whole of this account in Luke 24:13-36.
Have you ever been in a similar position? Have you experienced for yourself the pain of lost hope, lost dreams, lost purpose? Perhaps the hope of a particular job, marriage, starting a family, travelling, serving God? I have been in a similar position to Jesus' followers, I was convinced that it was God's plan for me to go to University to train as a school teacher. I was convinced that his purpose for me was to become a teacher, there was no doubt in my mind that this was the direction my life was heading for.
However, despite completing my teaching degree, despite filling in numerous application forms and attending interviews, a full time teaching job did not open up for me. Then, not long after, I became ill with M.E and due to poor health was not able to work in any kind of job. How could this be? How could this happen? I was sure it had been God's plan for me to work as a full time teacher, but I never saw this fulfilled. My hopes and dreams were dashed, they died because they came to nothing.
Going back to that first Good Friday, it was not the end and Jesus' followers had Easter Sunday. When God raised Jesus to new life on that Sunday, Jesus brought with him hope restored, dreams revised, his plan and purpose revealed. His followers finally understood what God's plan had been all along, yes, Jesus had come to earth to save them but not in the way they had dreamed, he had come to save all people from the power of sin, to redeem us and restore us to a loving relationship with our heavenly father. They now understood what Jesus' purpose was and the part that they (and now we) had to play in God's plan. "Jesus came and told his disciples, 'I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.'" Matthew 28:18-20 (NLT) It was so much better than what they had expected and hoped for and they saw this now. They had to go through Good Friday to get to Easter Sunday.
I believe that it was God's plan all along for me to attend university and gain a teacher training degree, however, at the time I had misunderstood why it was God's plan. It became much clearer later, that all the experiences in those years were to prepare me for when I taught and led in Sunday School, to prepare me to teach women in small groups and for preaching and teaching in a church setting. I had learnt many skills, including how to communicate with others, how to teach, how to study and also how to lean on God. I needed to go through my own Good Friday to come through to the other side, Easter Sunday, where hope was restored, dreams revised and God's purpose for me revealed. The things God has planned for me are so much better than what I had originally supposed. In Ephesians 3:20 Paul writes "Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]—" (Amp)
Perhaps you have come through the other side and you can look back and see the things God has planned for you and you are living in the light of his hope and his purpose for you, perhaps he has given you a new dream to replace the original one you had. You can see now how much better life is, how it is so much more than you had hoped for.
But perhaps for some you are still at Good Friday, and you still need the time to mourn and grieve for the things you have lost. That's ok, we need to feel what we are feeling, to recognise the emotions we are experiencing. But, let me encourage you, hold onto hope because although it may be Friday, Sunday is coming! Hallelujah! Psalm 30:5b "Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning." (NLT)
To Think About:
Do you have any hopes, dreams, plans that have died?
Has God breathed new life or restored or revealed a new purpose, a new hope, a new dream in you?
If you are still living in Good Friday ask God to be close to you and help you through it, ask him to help you to keep trusting him no matter what.
Are you living in Easter Sunday? How can you partner with him to see his hopes and dreams and plans fulfilled in you?
Vicki
With the death of Jesus on that first Good Friday, his followers grieved and mourned not only for Jesus' death but also for the death of their hopes and dreams and the loss of purpose and meaning to their life. Their hopes were dashed, their dreams deflated and their purpose for living destroyed. All these things had been wrapped up in Jesus and who they thought he was and his purpose for coming. Even though Jesus had explained it to them, they had misunderstood him. They thought he had come to save them from the tyrannical rule of the Romans, they thought he was going to be their military leader. For 3 days they were grieving the loss of a loved one and they were in despair over all that they had lost. Two disciples on the road to Emmaus said to a stranger (they didn't at first realise it was Jesus in his new resurrection body) "We had hoped he was the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel. This all happened three days ago." Luke 24:21 (NLT) You can read the whole of this account in Luke 24:13-36.
Have you ever been in a similar position? Have you experienced for yourself the pain of lost hope, lost dreams, lost purpose? Perhaps the hope of a particular job, marriage, starting a family, travelling, serving God? I have been in a similar position to Jesus' followers, I was convinced that it was God's plan for me to go to University to train as a school teacher. I was convinced that his purpose for me was to become a teacher, there was no doubt in my mind that this was the direction my life was heading for.
However, despite completing my teaching degree, despite filling in numerous application forms and attending interviews, a full time teaching job did not open up for me. Then, not long after, I became ill with M.E and due to poor health was not able to work in any kind of job. How could this be? How could this happen? I was sure it had been God's plan for me to work as a full time teacher, but I never saw this fulfilled. My hopes and dreams were dashed, they died because they came to nothing.
Going back to that first Good Friday, it was not the end and Jesus' followers had Easter Sunday. When God raised Jesus to new life on that Sunday, Jesus brought with him hope restored, dreams revised, his plan and purpose revealed. His followers finally understood what God's plan had been all along, yes, Jesus had come to earth to save them but not in the way they had dreamed, he had come to save all people from the power of sin, to redeem us and restore us to a loving relationship with our heavenly father. They now understood what Jesus' purpose was and the part that they (and now we) had to play in God's plan. "Jesus came and told his disciples, 'I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.'" Matthew 28:18-20 (NLT) It was so much better than what they had expected and hoped for and they saw this now. They had to go through Good Friday to get to Easter Sunday.
I believe that it was God's plan all along for me to attend university and gain a teacher training degree, however, at the time I had misunderstood why it was God's plan. It became much clearer later, that all the experiences in those years were to prepare me for when I taught and led in Sunday School, to prepare me to teach women in small groups and for preaching and teaching in a church setting. I had learnt many skills, including how to communicate with others, how to teach, how to study and also how to lean on God. I needed to go through my own Good Friday to come through to the other side, Easter Sunday, where hope was restored, dreams revised and God's purpose for me revealed. The things God has planned for me are so much better than what I had originally supposed. In Ephesians 3:20 Paul writes "Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]—" (Amp)
Perhaps you have come through the other side and you can look back and see the things God has planned for you and you are living in the light of his hope and his purpose for you, perhaps he has given you a new dream to replace the original one you had. You can see now how much better life is, how it is so much more than you had hoped for.
But perhaps for some you are still at Good Friday, and you still need the time to mourn and grieve for the things you have lost. That's ok, we need to feel what we are feeling, to recognise the emotions we are experiencing. But, let me encourage you, hold onto hope because although it may be Friday, Sunday is coming! Hallelujah! Psalm 30:5b "Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning." (NLT)
To Think About:
Do you have any hopes, dreams, plans that have died?
Has God breathed new life or restored or revealed a new purpose, a new hope, a new dream in you?
If you are still living in Good Friday ask God to be close to you and help you through it, ask him to help you to keep trusting him no matter what.
Are you living in Easter Sunday? How can you partner with him to see his hopes and dreams and plans fulfilled in you?
Vicki
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