By 
I was sitting in the quiet one morning. Before I had opened my Bible or taken a sip of tea, I noticed the heaviness I have felt so many times. Psalm 42:11 came to mind: Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God (NKJV).
Time and again this verse has helped me turn the corner. I love how honest David is and how he talks to his soul. He notices deep within that something isn’t right. His soul is disquieted, some translations say depressed. Then he talks to himself. He says, “hope in God,” knowing God will help him and he will praise God again. He may not feel like praising God now, but he will. He knows how he feels won’t last forever and that God will help him. He calls God “my God.” He knows God cares for him intimately and personally.
I turned to my Bible reading for the day, knowing God would meet me there. Then I moved to my time of stretching to quiet music. The music was so soothing. I glanced down and the title of the song was “Hope Within.” I suddenly realized something I had never considered before. My hope is not just in heaven and God fulfilling His promises of a new heaven and a new earth where He “will wipe away every tear” and there is no more death or sorrow or crying or pain (Revelation 21:4, NKJV). Hope lives in me because Christ resides in me.
This somehow seemed different than the “living hope” we have that Peter talks about in his letter to Christians in Asia Minor (1 Peter 1:3). It is true that Christ is alive; therefore we have a “living hope.” But as I pondered hope alive in me, I began to feel a different kind of hope. It wasn’t something far off I had to wait for—I had it now.
Romans 15:13 (NKJV) says, Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
I think that is exactly what happened that morning: God, the source of hope, began to fill me completely with joy and peace…through the power of the Holy Spirit (NLT).
Jesus told His disciples in the upper room the night before He went to the cross: “I will not abandon you as orphans.” (John14:18, NLT) He would ask the Father and He would give them another helper to be with them forever. He goes on to say, “Do not let your hearts be distressed or lacking in courage.” (John 14:27, NET)
The Holy Spirit is our Helper— “one who is called to come to someone’s aid.”[1] Jesus told the disciples He would dwell in them (John 14:17), He would teach them and bring to their remembrance everything He had said (John 14:26), and He would guide them into the truth (John 16:13). He told them these things ahead of time so that when they happened, their faith would grow (John 14:29, NET note).
Later, as I reflected on what occurred that morning, two words came to mind: perspective and focus. Perspective is the way we see things. Focus is what we give our attention to. If our focus is on something we don’t understand, or something far away, we sometimes need help so we can see it more clearly—like grabbing a pair of binoculars to see the object distinctly. I think that is what the Holy Spirit did for me.
Romans 5:4-5 says we can rejoice in our sufferings knowing that something wonderful is going to come out of it. One of those things is hope, and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us (NET).
I felt God’s love for me intimately that day. He saw my discouragement, and the Holy Spirit quietly led me to a place of wonder and awe. As I pondered the truth of Christ alive in me, hope and peace and joy began to well up inside.
My hope is still firmly planted in the truth of the future kingdom that is coming. But I now have a new awareness of the hope that dwells in me in Christ. My perspective has changed a bit. My hope doesn’t seem so far off.
Jesus told the disciples as He prepared to go to the cross: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27, ESV).
I don’t know what you might be struggling with today, but I know the Holy Spirit is present to help you. God dearly loves you and knows you intimately. He knows what you are wrestling with and knows how to help you. Maybe today, just sit quietly and turn your attention inward to the place where Christ dwells. Trust the Holy Spirit to lead you to the Truth.
[1] Παράκλητος, BDAG, A Greek-English Lexicon of the NT
Kim Prothro
Kim fell in love with Jesus and studying God's word in the eighth grade. That eventually led to a dream of attending seminary which she did after her children were grown. She graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary in 2013 with a Masters in Theology and was part of the original group of women who founded Womenary in 2008. She has been a past professor for Womenary and is currently the Director of Soul Care at Living Well Holistic Counseling and Wellness Center. Kim can be contacted at kim.prothro@gmail.com. 
