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Hope for the Hopeless

“Miqveh.” That is the Hebrew which often translates as “hope” in English translations of the Old Testament. Hope is very important because without hope, it is very hard to continue life.

Hope in God

First of all, the Hebrew word for, “hope” in verses such as Ezra 10:12, where there is hope for Israel, or in verses such as the below verse, Jeremiah 17:13, is “Miqveh.”

Jeremiah 17:13 World English Bible (WEB)
13 Yahweh, the hope of Israel,
    all who forsake you will be disappointed.
Those who depart from me will be written in the earth,
    because they have forsaken Yahweh,
    the spring of living waters.

So, in Jeremiah 17:13, Yahweh, the miqveh of Israel would be how, “Miqveh,” is used in the verse.

In the context of these verses, hope is basically how God provides a future for Israel. For us, in the New Testament, hope is constant expectation of seeing God’s promises in your life.

Romans 4:18 World English Bible (WEB)
18 Besides hope, Abraham in hope believed, to the end that he might become a father of many nations, according to that which had been spoken, “So will your offspring be.”Genesis 15:5

Abraham was in a state of hope, which the New Testament believers should also rest in. He held to his constant expectation of what God promised Him, and that is what hope is. Whatever God says in your life, you have to hold onto, no matter how impossible it seems.

The Bible makes it clear that God promises healing, so hold onto that expectation of perfect health. God promises you in the Bible that you will not be in poverty, so stick to that expectation until you see your financial situation change for the good. If God promises you peace from the Word of God, then believe that He has put His unwavering peace in you.

Whatever God promises whether it is written or spoken, just expect it to happen, rest in the hope which Jesus attained for us.

Double Meaning

Now, why am I so keen on showing you the Hebrew word for hope in the Old Testament of the Bible?

It is because while I was investigating this Hebrew word for hope, Holy Spirit struck me with a fascinating revelation. “Miqveh,” not only means hope, it also means, “a collection of waters.”

Genesis 1:10 World English Bible (WEB)
10 God called the dry land “earth”, and the gathering together of the waters he called “seas”. God saw that it was good.

This Hebrew word is used in the first chapter of the Bible as is shown above. So, in the context of that verse, it would translate as “God called the dry land, ‘earth”, and the miqveh he called ‘seas.”

Why does God make the Hebrew word for hope the same word for a collection of waters?

It is because when God is your hope, you will never be left thirsty! If you root yourself in God, who is your hope, you will not wither away, you will be refreshed by His life. He will make sure that your thirst is quenched!

Life Changing Waters

John 4:14 King James Version (KJV)
14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

Jesus says in the New Testament that whoever drinks of the water which He provides will never be thirsty. When you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, He puts fountains of living water in you! He puts His hope in you and He calls to you so that you may have a taste of this wonderful hope!

John 7:37-38 World English Bible (WEB)
37 Now on the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink! 38 He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, from within him will flow rivers of living water.”

He does not want you to be in despair or to have no hope! Jesus wants you to be joyful and blessed. God loves you and that is why He made it so easy to come to Him.

So, accept Jesus and if you’ve already put your faith in Him, remember that He is your hope. He is the reason why you keep going even when life gets tough. Your hope can never die. No one can kill your hope; this is because your hope is not something, it is someone. And that someone is the living God who reigns eternally.

He put this hope in you, so that through you, even others can come to know Him and be saved.

Finally, let me close on this point. Jesus said whoever believes in Him, from within him/her will flow rivers of living water. When you come to realize what He paid for you, remember, He is in you. Let God work through and in your life; He is your hope. Therefore, never despair, but keep your eyes on Jesus!

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The Master Who Makes All Things New

Since the New Year started, much talk has been dedicated to resolutions and goals. It seems as if everyone wants a fresh start. And that’s good; we all desire a fresh start, whether it be with our goals, our relationships, or whatever else comes to mind. However, we also need a fresh start when it comes to our spiritual life.

Forgetting Your Mistakes

Now, I have good news for you; the moment you accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, He provides you with a clean slate. And the greatest fresh start you could ever make is with Jesus. When you give your life to Jesus, God chooses to forget your past as He leads you through the future!

You may say, “Andre! Where in the Bible does it say that?! How could God forget, I thought he was all-knowing!”

Hebrews 8:12 World English Bible (WEB)
12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness.
    I will remember their sins and lawless deeds no more.” Jeremiah 31:31-34

It is not that the omniscient God of this universe has a light case of amnesia; it is that He chooses to not remember what you did wrong in the past. If you have struggled with anything in the past, in any moment prior to now, I am proclaiming to you that God wants to make a change in your life! The only one who will bring past mistakes to your mind is either you or the devil, but it’s never God who does that.

The Unstoppable Transformative Power of Grace

When Jesus died on the cross, He died as you. When Jesus rose again on the third day, He rose victorious and because of what He did, you are now seen by God as perfectly righteous, which I have written about in another post.

Romans 6:10-11 World English Bible (WEB)
10 For the death that he died, he died to sin one time; but the life that he lives, he lives to God. 11 Thus consider yourselves also to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

If you have disobeyed God before, that old you has died on the cross and now you are alive as an obedient child of God. You may not “feel” obedient, you may not “feel” transformed, but our God does not see what you feel, He sees what your believe.

Hebrews 11:6 World English Bible (WEB)
6 Without faith it is impossible to be well pleasing to him, for he who comes to God must believe that he exists, and that he is a rewarder of those who seek him.

Thus, put your faith in what Jesus did and see how He has made you a new creation and now, you do not need to “work” harder to be obedient to God; you just need to trust Him so that Jesus’ power of obedience works within you.

In God’s eyes, when you place your faith in Jesus, your old self dies. The part of you which was contrary to God no longer exists, but, the power which resurrected Jesus ensures that you live life to the fullest as a new creation in Christ Jesus.

New Creation in Christ Jesus

2 Corinthians 5:17 World English Bible (WEB)
17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new.

When you are in Jesus, when you let Jesus hold your life in His hands, you are an abosultely never-before seen creation. You are not dirty, you are not dumb, you are not any lie which has attached itself to your thinking through past experiences, you are God’s beloved new creation.

He activated your Spirit and now, you can live a life with Him. That is why He says, “Behold,” in the above scripture. He is telling you not to look at your old self, but to look at the new creation which He has made you to be because of Jesus.

Philippians 3:13-14 King James Version (KJV)
13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Even Paul, the one who was a persecutor in ancient times, the guy who killed and imprisoned Christians, made a fresh start with Jesus. He is the one who was speaking through the inspiration of Holy Spirit in the above verse. He made is clear that he decided to forget his past sins and to push on forward in his ministry appointed by God. God used him to do so many great things for His glory, to the point of Paul writing a lot of what we read in the New Testament.

Therefore, look at the mirror, and behold what a miracle God has done! You are no longer a thing of the past, but are a hope for the future and God will bless you so that you can be a blessing to others, as well.

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The Purpose of Christmas

Luke 2:8-10 World English Bible (WEB)
8 There were shepherds in the same country staying in the field, and keeping watch by night over their flock. 9 Behold, an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 The angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be to all the people.

The Appearance of Angels

This post will examine the birth of Jesus Christ which is why we celebrate Christmas. Now, the first people outside the family of Mary to hear about the birth of Jesus, were some shepherds. These shepherds were taking care of their sheep during the night, and the Bible says an angel appeared to them.

The Bible does not say that an angel flew to them or anything like that. It says, the angel stood in front of them. This means that even though you may not see it, there are angels around you.

In your life, there are angels who act as God’s bodyguards for you; however, you cannot see them at the moment. Nevertheless, the angel appeared to them and the shepherd boys became terrified. This may be why God does not show everything that happens behind the scenes, otherwise, we’d be scared like anything!

Now when the angel appeared to them, the Word of God says that he told them to fear not. God is always concerned about you. He does not want you to be scared of anything at all! In fact, I wrote an entire post where God’s heart is not for you to be anxious about anything.

Furthermore, as the angel began telling them of Jesus’ birth, he introduced Jesus as good news of great joy to all people.

Good News For Everyone

Did you know that Jesus is nothing but good news? And it is this very good news which is the purpose of Christmas! But God is so good that He includes a few extra words which are key to this passage. He says this good news is of great joy to all the people.

He is good news not only to Christians or Jews but to all people where Jesus can bless anyone with His saving power. If you believe in any other religion. Just ask God to save you from the situation or challenge you are facing and Jesus will show you His saving grace. Jesus is the truth, the way, and the life; when you give your life to Jesus, He will give you eternal life

Whether you are sick, or depressed, or in any sort of state which is bad, call upon the name of Jesus and He will answer you. When you accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, your life will be transformed by His goodness, you will have the peace which surpasses all understanding.

Psalm 34:8 King James Version (KJV)
8 O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

Saviour of the World

When we celebrate Christmas, we celebrate how our Saviour was born. The angel introduced Jesus as the saviour of the world.

Luke 2:11 World English Bible (WEB)
11 For there is born to you today, in David’s city, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

Remember that Christ means “Messiah” or “Anointed One.” Moreover, when you look at the entirety of these wonderful words spoken by the angel, the Bible declares Jesus as the Lord who is anointed to save.

If you need saving in any sort of way, there is a saviour who loves you and is deeply concerned of your well-being. His name is Jesus and He is the reason why we celebrate Christmas. Ask Him, and you will definitely hear a response from Jesus, the God who took all your troubles on Himself when He was crucified, and then after three days, arose from the dead so that He is alive forevermore.

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The King Who Overcame Anxiety!

There are many types of anxiety. This post will be tackling the topic of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Basically, GAD is a disorder that causes people to worry abnormally and frequently throughout their life.

Now, what does the Bible say about anxiety in general?

Matthew 6:27-30 World English Bible (WEB)
27 “Which of you by being anxious, can add one moment to his lifespan? 28 Why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They don’t toil, neither do they spin, 29 yet I tell you that even Solomon in all his glory was not dressed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today exists and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, won’t he much more clothe you, you of little faith?

The general topic of this bible verse is anxiety. This is when Jesus tells the people that you should not worry about anything because God is in control.

He says that He will provide. If you are worried about anything, just lay it down at the feet of Jesus. Doesn’t Jesus say in verse 30, that if He put so much effort into the design of flowers, then how much more, will He care for you!

No Longer in Bondage

Romans 8:15 World English Bible (WEB)
15 For you didn’t receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”

Paul, influenced by the Holy Spirit, wrote this passage straight from Heaven so that you can truly understand the solution to General Anxiety Disorder. He says we have not received the spirit of bondage to fear. But, what is bondage to fear?

Bondage to fear is when someone is always scared of what’s happening next or what has already happened. It can be seen as constant anxiety, which perfectly matches GAD’s description. So, God tells us through this passage, that if you accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, He will put in you, His Spirit of adoption.

It means that as soon as you believe in Him, He considers you His own child. When you were young, your parents would tell you not to be worried. They would always take care of everything to the best of their ability. I mean, I’ve never seen a child worry about paying the bills or providing food on the table in a functional family.

In the same way, Holy Spirit tells you in this scripture that you have not received a spirit of bondage to fear, but the Spirit of adoption from God, meaning that He see you through the lens of love, as His dear, beloved child, just rely on Him.

God’s Primary Calling to You

Therefore, God calls you to believe in Him and to place your trust in Jesus Christ because He loves you; He wants to do something great in your life, He wants you to be set free from all anxiety as He calls the whole world to Him!

John 3:16 World English Bible (WEB)
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

Moreover, Jesus leaves you with His peace which is not dependant on your situation but on your relationship with Jesus.

John 14:27 World English Bible (WEB)
27 Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, I give to you. Don’t let your heart be troubled, neither let it be fearful.

Before Jesus’ crucifixion, He made a promise that He would give us peace. So, accept His promise, He put His Spirit in you and there is nothing that should worry you if the Almighty God is on your side.

You may be saying, “But, Andre, Generalized Anxiety Disorder is a mental illness, it is beyond my control!”

Yet, my response remains the same because it’s supported by scripture, Jesus made that promise of peace for everyone; it is not supposed to be under your control, you just need to surrender it to Jesus. He did not say that His promise of peace is reserved only for healthy Christians, His promise is for everyone and anyone so as long as you decide to trust Him.

Philippians 4:7 World English Bible (WEB)
7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.

His peace transcends human comprehension; if you suffer from GAD, just ask God for that peace which He promised, GAD should have no place in your life.

You do not need to be anxious about the future, your situation or anything for that matter, but you should remind yourself that Jesus promised you peace. There may be challenges here and there but Jesus will turn your challenges into testimonies.

Therefore, accept His love and enjoy His perfect, wonderful peace.

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Isn’t Jesus just like any other religious historical figure? What does he have to do with mental health?

Jesus is unique from any other historical figure and here’s why.

His claims were totally different. He claimed to offer life, to offer healing, to bless people, to show what love looks like, and He fulfilled His words at the cost of His life. His actions pointed to His divinity and His words testified of truth.

Luke 4:18-19 Good News Translation (GNT)
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
    because he has chosen me to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
    and recovery of sight to the blind,
to set free the oppressed
19     and announce that the time has come
    when the Lord will save his people.”

Jesus never denied that people can suffer, mentally. But He always offered healing. He offered healing for people who were hurt, physically, and He offered healing for people who were hurt, emotionally.