The Victory Of Hope

Read: Judges 4–5

Listen to the village musicians gathered at the watering holes. They recount the righteous victories of the LORD and the victories of his villagers in Israel. Judges 5:11

IN WORD

God’s people had been ruthlessly oppressed for twenty years by a Canaanite general with a big army and nine hundred chariots. It was their own fault; they had turned from God and worshiped idols, so they lived in defeat. Year after year, they saw the power of the enemy and were intimidated. They resigned themselves to futility and discouragement.

Deborah didn’t. She saw the situation through different eyes. She knew God not only as the Judge who punishes but also as the Warrior who delivers from punishment. She had risen to prominence as a judge of Israel over all other potential candidates because she regularly sat under a tree and listened to God. From His perspective, the odds against Israel weren’t overwhelming, and Deborah recognized His timing. So she called the armies of God to exercise faith and boldly declared His plans without regard for how unlikely they seemed. She saw hope when others saw hopelessness. And that hope resulted in victory.

How we see God makes an enormous difference in how we live and what victories we will enjoy. Citizens of the world know how to nurture guilt, shame, futility, condemnation, frustration, and apathy. Kingdom citizens are fueled by hope. We nurture our sense of identity, privilege, and power—not in ourselves but in the King who gave us our citizenship. We know who we are and what He intends for us.

IN DEED

Learn to see life through lenses of hope. Be confident in the King who gave you your identity. Like Deborah, learn to discern His seasons, stir up faith among His people, and declare His victories. He looks at no situation with despair, and we need to learn to see through His eyes. Be willing to lead the way when everyone else is afraid. The Kingdom is a place of relentless optimism because the King always knows victory is coming. We do too.

ADDITIONAL READING: Psalm 33:20-22

In hope we count on the possibilities of the future and we do not remain imprisoned in the institutions of the past.

JÜRGEN MOLTMANN