HOPE
Today’s ‘Guest Writer’ is Sue Hancox who works at Cadbury’s.
“Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.”
Desmond Tutu
Psalm 130:5
I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope.
Why is hope important in life? Hope allows people to approach problems with a mindset and strategy-set suitable to success, thereby increasing the chances they will actually accomplish their goals.
Perhaps over the last month I have been one of the lucky people who have managed to continue going to work using public transport and do my normal busy job whilst adhering to the new social distancing constraints.
This week whilst working in Chocolate Making’s H&Q lab with one new operator I am training the word HOPE came into my head. We were trying get an instrument which measures particle size in chocolate using a laser beam, to give us stable background reading before analysing the chocolate. We had tried turning the computer off and on, cleaning the lens of the cell, altering the temperature of the air conditioning as it is very sensitive to temperature change and the time delay on the instrument. After each alteration the operator kept saying let’s HOPE this works eventually after a couple of hours we managed it (combination of temperature and time delay). He could then continue with his analysis which meant we didn’t stop production as particle size measurement is a crucial test that has to be measured every four hours on liquid chocolate from six plants.
Hope – is a short word which perhaps at the moment has more meaning.
Hope occurs 130 times in the King James Version of the bible (KJV). During this strange and perhaps difficult time for everyone I think this little word is very important and I know over the past few weeks it has really helped me and my family.
One cannot have hope without faith... When people have hope they have faith, because they hold a belief that says “I believe that the future will be better.” And while they have no grounds to “prove” the hopeful assumption, they have faith in it. Again and again, God is called “the God of hope” and The apostle Paul referred to Jesus as “Christ Jesus our hope” (1 Tim. 1:1 NIV).
In Christ alone my hope is found, He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid Ground firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All - Here in the love of Christ I stand.
(Stuart Townend & Keith Getty © 2001 Thankyou Music)
P.S. from Stephen: We sing many songs with hope in them – you perhaps listen to one on Wednesday ‘Hope & Glory Tim Hughes’ and we often sing ‘My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood & righteousness’ (search YouTube: ‘Cornerstone’)
A prayer which may help you to voice your own prayers of hope to God:
May God’s Holy Spirit breathe hope into my heart, transform my fears,
and bless me with the gifts of courage, compassion and understanding,
so that I may share my faith with renewed confidence and new commitment.
In Jesus’ name. Amen
I’d like to recommend a video of a song which helps us respond to the hope we have in Christ alone: YouTube: ‘Mladifest MeÄ‘ugorje Hosanna’. The English lyrics we usually sing are:
Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest;
Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest:
Lord, we lift up your name, with our hearts full of praise.
Be exalted, O Lord my God – Hosanna in the highest.
(Carl Tuttle © 1985 Thankyou Music)
If you haven’t already, can I encourage you to either download the phone app ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ or go to their website and register so that you can receive daily emails. Either of these ways will give you along with a video and bible reading, a daily podcast from Tom Wright – he is always worth listening to.
I look forward to writing to you on Sunday - Stephen