Captive To Hope

Zechariah 9:9-13

Return to your fortress, you prisoners of hope; even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you. (Zechariah 9:12, NIV)

AFTER CENTURIES OF IDOLATRY and neglect of the revelation they had been given, God’s people had been disciplined in numerous ways, including being held captive in a foreign land. Nevertheless, God promised restoration to them with the astounding assurance that they would receive double for their losses—even when those losses were self-inflicted. It’s an amazing covenant of mercy, and it demonstrates his nature not only for ancient Israel but for his people in all times. We may go through hard things, but God is always calling us toward hope. He sees the end of every story and assures us it will work out for our good.

Sadly, many people, including Christians, are afraid to hope. We let our experiences with disappointment color our expectations of fulfillment. We are told that “hope deferred makes the heart sick” (Proverbs 13:12), and we nod our heads in painful agreement. We are told in the same verse that “a dream fulfilled is a tree of life,” and we long to know what that’s like. We want to live with anticipation of the goodness of God in every area of life, but we are reluctant to give our hearts over to it. We cast our hopes far into the future, to the end of the age and the coming of the Kingdom in all its fullness, but temper our expectations for the here and now. After all, we don’t want to be disappointed again.

God calls his people to be relentless hopers. Even in the trials and tribulations of harsh discipline, when his prophets warned of devastations to come, he always offered a promise of the restoration that would follow. He encourages us, leads us, and pulls us into a hopeful attitude because that’s his nature. He is a God of promise and purpose. He knows the glories to come.

The world needs glimpses of those glories, and we can provide them. We are to be captives to hope, always ambassadors of eternal realities, advocates of the truth behind the scenes. Live with that purpose, in your own life and in your words to others. Refuse to protect your heart by tempering its expectations. Wear the promises of God for all to see.

{Lord, let my face shine with the glory of your goodness, my attitude glow with the expectation of blessings, my words resonate with the sound of anticipation. May my hopefulness be contagious to a world that needs it. Amen.