I Have a HOPE!

 

Last week I was working on a hymn study for the hymn "I Have a Hope." It was written in the late 1800s. I found a few videos with that name on YouTube, but different words. The author was Charles Wesley Naylor. Here's a little sample of what I wrote:

I chose this hymn to study for the title alone. I write many words about HOPE. It's what fills me with the strength and courage to face each new day. One of my favorite Scripture verses is Psalm 71:14: “But as for me, I will always have HOPE; I will praise you more and more.”

I liked the words Paul David Tripp wrote in his book, "New Morning Mercies": “Reliable HOPE is Jesus! In His life, death, and resurrection, your life is infused with HOPE . . . The One who is HOPE has infused my life with HOPE . . . To find HOPE, find Him.”

Naylor experienced long and intense suffering during his life, being an invalid for nearly 41 years. He learned to trust God for the supply of his temporal needs because there was no other to trust. He learned to commune with God by being deprived of the opportunity of mingling much with his fellow men.

Yet he did not lose the joy out of life. He built up the kingdom of God with his words of good cheer. He demonstrated the efficacy of God's grace to sustain one and give joy in the very discouraging circumstances of life. 

Perhaps the words to this hymn is just what you need today. The words have certainly enriched my soul as I wrote the study!

“I have a hope, serene and sure, That anchors past the veil;
In all the storms it holds secure, Nor will it ever fail.”

 “I have a hope that looks away, From present woes and tears;

To heaven’s bright eternal day, Till sorrow disappears.”

“I have a hope that doth not fear, The silent grave to view;
Nay, doth not shrink though death appear, For I shall live anew.”

Refrain:
My hope is born of God’s own word, And nourished by His grace;
His promise true my soul hath heard, And hope beholds His face.”

Joyful HOPE! Glorious HOPE! Forever HOPE! We have a reason to celebrate! I have a HOPE!

By His Grace . . .