Reflections:Â Waiting and hoping
There is much more to the story of Israel. The people go through exile from their land, a terrible time when it seems that God has abandoned them. But God remains faithful to his character and restores them, continuing to point forward to a new day when he will send his promised King who will bring a new kind of restoration once and for all. In response to all God’s good promises, the people wait in expectation. They cannot yet see what God will do, but they have hope in who he is. They look back on the story so far and see God’s never-ending love, and so they can trust him and rejoice in what he has promised, even as they keep looking for it to appear. The Psalms record their ongoing prayer and praise even as they wait expectantly through all kinds of dark times.
Questions: Are there circumstances in your life that are difficult and make it hard for you to trust in God’s good promises? What does it mean for you to wait and hope upon God?
Prayers:Â Faithful God, thank you for your unchanging character and the certainty of your promises. Show me how to wait in hope and expectation for you, and to trust and rejoice even in difficult times.