Hope When All Looks Hopeless

Read Psalm 33:13-22

Context: This is a song of praise, probably sung in separate parts by the choir leader, the choir, and the people. Based on its content, it is believed that this was written in celebration of national deliverance.

Text:
13 From heaven the LORD looks down
and sees all mankind;
14 from his dwelling place he watches
all who live on earth-

15 he who forms the hearts of all,
who considers everything they do.

16 No king is saved by the size of his army;
no warrior escapes by his great strength.

17 A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;
despite all its great strength it cannot save.

18 But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him,
on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,

19 to deliver them from death
and keep them alive in famine.

20 We wait in hope for the LORD;
he is our help and our shield.

21 In him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name.

22 May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD,
even as we put our hope in you.(NIV)

taken from www.biblegateway.com

Have you ever watched the movie 'Finding Nemo'? It is the story of a little fish who gets captured by a diver and his father's efforts to find him. At one point in the movie, the father (Marlin) is in the mouth of a whale and the whale has 'told' him to let go and fall to the back of his throat.

Marlin is a very nervous, careful fish and he believes this is the end of his life...being eaten by a whale. However, the whale has taken him and a forgetful friend as close as possible to the place where the little fish, Nemo, is being held. The whale blows the two out his blow hole so they can continue their journey.

God often puts us in similar situations where we can't see any possible outcome but disaster. Yet he knows us and he knows the situation much better than we do. If we trust him and put our hope in his love, he will bring us right to the place we need to be. His ways are not our ways, but he told us himself that he knows the number of hairs on our head (Lk 12:7), and that he cares for us. That gives me hope for the future, regardless of the situation!