Wednesday, November 18, 2009

When You Are Low on Hope


I am sharing this with all my readers because it truly spoke to me this morning. I hope it touches you as well!


When You Are Low on Hope
by Max Lucado

Water. All Noah can see is water. The evening sun sinks into it. The clouds are reflected in it. His boat is surrounded by it. Water. Water to the north. Water to the south. Water to the east. Water to the west. Water.

He sent a raven on a scouting mission; it never returned. He sent a dove. It came back shivering and spent, having found no place to roost. Then, just this morning, he tried again. With a prayer he let it go and watched until the bird was no bigger than a speck on a window.

All day he looked for the dove's return.

Now the sun is setting, and the sky is darkening, and he has come to look one final time, but all he sees is water. Water to the north. Water to the south. Water to the east. Water to the ...

You know the feeling. You have stood where Noah stood. You've known your share of floods. Flooded by sorrow at the cemetery, stress at the office, anger at the disability in your body or the inability of your spouse. You've seen the floodwater rise, and you've likely seen the sun set on your hopes as well. You've been on Noah's boat.

And you've needed what Noah needed; you've needed some hope. You're not asking for a helicopter rescue, but the sound of one would be nice. Hope doesn't promise an instant solution but rather the possibility of an eventual one. Sometimes all we need is a little hope.

That's all Noah needed. And that's all Noah received.

Here is how the Bible describes the moment: "When the dove returned to him in the evening, there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf!" (Gen. 8:11 NIV).

An olive leaf. Noah would have been happy to have the bird but to have the leaf! This leaf was more than foliage; this was promise. The bird brought more than a piece of a tree; it brought hope. For isn't that what hope is? Hope is an olive leaf—evidence of dry land after a flood. Proof to the dreamer that dreaming is worth the risk.

Don't we love the olive leaves of life?
"It appears the cancer may be in remission."
"I can help you with those finances."
"We'll get through this together."
What's more, don't we love the doves that bring them?
Perhaps that's the reason so many loved Jesus.

To all the Noahs of the world, to all who search the horizon for a fleck of hope, he proclaims, "Yes!" And he comes. He comes as a dove. He comes bearing fruit from a distant land, from our future home. He comes with a leaf of hope.

A Love Worth GivingHave you received yours? Don't think your ark is too isolated. Don't think your flood is too wide. Receive his hope, won't you? Receive it because you need it. Receive it so you can share it.

Love always hopes. "Love ... bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things" (1 Cor. 13:4-7 NKJV, emphasis mine).

From A Love Worth Giving
Copyright (Thomas Nelson, 2002) Max Lucado

20 comments:

Andrea said...

"Love always hopes"....what a beautiful verse from a beautiful GOD. I am thankful for the hope that can only be found in HIM. I, too am thankful for the hope that can be found in HIM through you on this blog. Thank you for faithfully following HIS lead to share with us.

Hope you are feeling better. Praying for you.

Blessings, hugs, love, and prayers, andrea

Still Learning said...

That was a blessing indeed. I like the part about love always hopes too. Thank you so much for sharing from Max Lucado with us today. I too need hope today for more work for our business. Thanks for the olive branch so to speak ha ha.

Love ya lady,

Jenn

Jen said...

This morning these words have planted seeds of hope in a heart that needs it. Thank you for sharing this.

He & Me + 3 said...

I love Max Lucado. So true we are all like Noah waiting for the hope. Finding that hope in Christ and all His promises. Thank you for sharing these words.

Loren said...

Kat,

What an inspiring and oh so true post! The Word tells us.... Hope deferred makes a heart sick but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life Prov 13 :12

I know so many will be touched and moved by these words today and I am so thankful for you! your friendship is such a gift :) You inspire so many, I LOVE YOU

Mari said...

I always appreciate his writing. This was a wonderful post. I love the thought of the hope coming from him!
PS - that photo is just gorgeous!

Greg C said...

Hope is a very powerful thing. I have been close to losing hope a number of times but I have always driven through the storm and made it to the other side. And there is always the other side if you just hold on long enough.

Mrs. Miller said...

Thank you for being a dove bringing hope to me today.

christy rose said...

I love Max Lucado. He presents the Gospel so well in everything that he writes. I think of him and Thomas Kincade in a similar way. Both paint the picture of the beauty of the Lord, only one is with paints and the other is with words. Thanks for sharing this.

Aine Willis said...

I loved reading this. Thank you for sharing it and the picture is beautiful.

LisaShaw said...

I so enjoyed reading this encouragement from Max L. Kat. Thank you for sharing and spreading GOD's encouragement online to all of us.

I could have stepped into that photo on your header and just sat with you a while today. Love you dear friend.

Praying for you!!!

LV said...

Hope is something we can always share. As always another inspiring message for us all.

Denise said...

Thank you for this.

Just Be Real said...

What a blessing to read. Max's writings are so very inspirational and hits home in the heart. Thanks for posting dear. Blessings....

Warren Baldwin said...

I love the devotional, and the picture at the top. We are looking at using a Max Lucado book for our small group next year.

HeartsMakeFamilies said...

This post touched somewhere deep inside me. I needed it. Thank you so much.

COUNTRY MOM said...

Kat, Love your post. I have missed you. How are you feeling? Prayers are with you. Love and Blessings, Audrey

Edie said...

Wow this was great! Max Lucado really knows how to bring it home.

I've been thinking about you and wondering how you are. I get busy and fall behind on my blogging. I'll go see if you mention it in your posts. :)

Much love!

S. Etole said...

Watching for a dove ...

Deborah Ann said...

Love Max. What a neat way to look at hope - like a dove!

Bear hugs!