Hope is not a rollercoaster

So, I've had rollercoasters on the brain.



We went chasing the sun a few weeks back. A week in sunny Gold Coast was exactly what this cold family needed! We needed some sun and some fun, and what better place to have both than across the ditch. Mum and dad went on ahead and met us there. I must say I maybe slightly underestimated the feat of skill it would be to get three little people to another country, alone... Taking three kids on a NZ road trip is one thing, dealing with passports, boarding cards, plane rides with no inflight entertainment, rental car bookings, luggage and X-ray processes, long queues and lots of waiting and behaving required... well it's absolutely do-able, just tiring. The kids were troupers though and aside from a toileting crisis at the point where we had waited for ages in the customs line, finally reached the front and had to make an emergency dash for the toilet which was nowhere close to us, laden with bags and luggage with no trolley...while the customs officers were mid-way checking passports to let us through... fun times.

Although it was a place we have visited many times before, it was full of new experiences and of course the kids ages meant they enjoyed more of what Gold Coast had to offer this time around. Even mum and I went on the latest rollercoasters and in meeting up with some friends at the theme park, Abby was encouraged to do the big one! Mum and I thought it was pretty intense and never imagined Abby would be keen. I was so proud of Abby, after a little persuasion (and bribery from her friend Riley who promised her $5 if she did it), she decided to try the biggest rollercoaster in the park. I gave Abby the option of pulling out as we neared the front but my brave girl, tears and all said, no she wanted to do it even though she was scared. Needless to say, with tears streaming down her little face, after the initial loop, she was screaming and laughing and enjoying herself. Her first words when we got back to the beginning of the ride were, "Can we go again?!" I was proud of her.

Thinking about our time on thrill rides and theme parks got me thinking about how it ties into something that's been on my heart and on my mind lately. How often do we find ourselves strapping ourselves in willingly and riding the emotional rollercoaster that is life. Being taken up and down with the seasons and situations of life. I had a fresh revelation lately that hope is not a rollercoaster. That way of living was never meant to be our 'normal'.

The Bible says that this hope we have reaches beyond the veil. It’s a hope that is higher than circumstances, a hope that transcends natural events. This hope is in the unchanging character of a good God, in His unfailing word and in His sure promise. Our hope comes from a friendship with the Holy Spirit. I think sometimes we miss the personal purpose of the Holy Spirit. I heard a thought this week, and it’s a powerful reminder; The Holy Spirit is our engagement ring. He is the guarantee of what’s to come, the evidence of God’s covenant with us and the hope to come. If we are in friendship with Him, we start to see things from a higher perspective. We see things in light of the faithful Promise Keeper. We have a security that isn't affected by anything we can face. I guess that's why the Bible refers to hope being an anchor for our soul. If we are grounded in an intimate, personal relationship with the God of hope, we will be anchored in the roughest seas.

We have a soul, a soul that gets hurt, that gets offended, that gets mad. Our soul is  a very valid part of who we are. God’s word says that we are to prosper even as our soul prospers. But our soul is not to lead our life. The Bible says we need to live in faith, faith transcends our mind, will and emotions. Faith doesn’t make sense to our mind and emotions. Faith is agreeing with the Father’s will, the Father’s plans, saying what Heaven is saying. If we allow our soul to lead us we cannot walk in faith. If we allow our soul to take the wheel we will find ourselves on the rollercoaster.

God has warned us, told us, we will go through the fire, we will go through the deep waters, we will experience sorrow and heartache, these are givens in life. How do we get through life in a natural world with so many lows and highs and not be on the rollercoaster? Hope. A Hope that reaches beyond the veil. Our Hope is Jesus Christ and the very Spirit of power that raised Him from the dead.

Be encouraged today that no matter what the natural looks like, if we fill our lives with the friendship of the Holy Spirit – the God of HOPE, and fill our ears with the sound of hope, fill our spirit with the songs of victory that echo hope, fill our inner man with the words of hope, we will live in a higher place, up above the rollercoaster our soul tries to take us on.

I am learning this everyday as I try to walk a little closer with Him. If He foreknew all, He knew the end from the beginning, He knew my story and all that would happen, all that I would choose and what would be done to me, HE KNEW and within that knowing He made a plan for my life that is good. How can we worry when we know the plans ahead are good? How can we stress when we are abiding in the One who has it all figured out? Our job is to do the abiding, the hiding in His shadow, staying close to the shepherd learning to trust and surrender to what He wants to do it our hearts and lives. 

I am so encouraged by a fresh revelation of the power of HOPE! Hope is an essential part of having faith. The constant expectation of GOOD! And the wonderful thing about HOPE is that the Bible also says that HOPE NEVER FAILS. 

So if you're on the rollercoaster of emotions, at the mercy of what each day, each situation throws at you... get into HOPE. Let it saturate your life, your thoughts and your heart. Our hope is in the one ABOVE all, that's why we can't be moved or shaken if we are in Him. 

I'm so glad we serve a God of hope. A God who says as long as we go after Him, we win. A God who purchased our life back from the grips of death and hell and promises us life and life in abundance! That means whatever we face today, if it's not good, it's not the end of the story, just the middle bit. If we commit to making OUR story, His story, it can only end well. And our hope is secure because HE NEVER FAILS.

A little bit of fun but mainly a deep post today but life is too precious not to think about these things. I am after ALL God has promised me and I know one of the keys is hope. I pray that whatever you are facing today that you experience  the God of hope in a personal way that will fill you with expectation and excitement at the future we have in Him.