Radical Hope
Have you ever wondered why the children of Israel didn't serve God with joy and gladness? Deuteronomy 28:47 says, "Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and a glad heart..." and it goes on to describe the bondage that would befall the Hebrew people because of their hardened hearts. They saw plenty of signs, wonders, and miracles performed every day, so why weren't they filled with joy? I think we could ask ourselves that same question: God, why am I not happy? Why am I not serving you with a glad heart? I don't know about you, but many times I lose my perspective when things aren't going the way I think they should. When my hopes and expectations aren't met, my heart is not exactly what you'd call "glad." Proverbs 13:12 says, "Hope deferred makes the heart sick." That's the way it was with the children of Israel. Their hearts were sick. The problem was that their hope was in everything but the Lord. Thei...