Hope in the word of God

Tonight I was reading from Psalm 119 and came across a passage that I have not considered before, though I am sure I have read it many times.  Psalm 119:147 reads, “I rise before the dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in your word.”  The final phrase, ‘I have put my hope in your word’ seems so simple, but in reality it holds a lot of truth and quite a challenge. 

                What does it mean to put your hope in God’s word?  Yes, we trust Jesus and make things like, ‘Jesus is our rock’ our motto.  But we have to be careful to make sure that we are living as if our hope is in the Lord, and not just proclaiming.  If our hope comes from the living word of God then we have a living hope.  A living hope is one that is vibrant with the truth that is set forth in the Bible.  Our hope in the Lord is a result of the way in which we live our lives. 

                If our hope is in the word, then we should be convicted to live our lives as biblically as possible.  This always reminds me of prayer.  Look at how prayer is described in the Bible.  Jesus taught us how to pray.  When he was on the cross, some of his final words came to us as a prayer on behalf of his enemies.  Hannah prayed for a son and received one.  Daniel prayed for help and the lion’s mouths were closed.  These things were done through petition to the Lord.  How much do we miss out on because we do not pray?  And if prayer is what the Bible claims that it is, then why aren’t we spending hours each day praying for the souls of unbelieving friends?  If our hope is in the word, then we should be living as if the word is our only hope.  And when I look at the world, I fear that prayer is our only hope. 

                Hope in the word also means that we have hope in our future salvation.  I know that my time on earth is limited.  The Bible has taught me that no matter what this world, which is under the control of Satan, may throw at me I can persevere and I WILL spend eternity in Heaven with my God.  What truth is better than this?  There is nothing more that I can say in regards to hope in God’s word.  His word is true and His word is good.  Hope in his word is the assurance of my salvation through my faith in his word, through His is forgiving grace.