“Seize the hope”
I recently read these three words in Hebrews and it perfectly embodied a piece of truth that I have needed for awhile.
Post-cancer, I’ve had a lot to hash through- trauma and theology. And all year long I’ve had moments of panic and dread. I feared reoccurrence and this feeling of “God is going to feed me to the wolves” kept surfacing. I even sunk as deep to feeling “maybe I deserve that”.
You see, all my life I have been reading the Scriptures wrong. If I read something and I have felt or experienced that truth, I’ve said “Amen!” While unintentionally glazing over the rest.
But The Word is life. It is truth whether our feelings or our experiences validate them or not. I was missing out on the two edged sword that could help me fight this inner turmoil.
If I believe in God, then I believe in the infallible truth of the Word. I believe the Word is mine, and I can use it at any and all times.
I was blind to the fact that faith rises above feelings. If I truly believed in the power of the Word then I should use it- use it to guide my thoughts, guide my actions. Not wait for some miraculous feeling to shower down from the Heavens making the Word glimmer in Hope, the power of its truth. But rather, I should “SEIZE THE HOPE!”. It’s already there for me.
Seizing the hope goes something like, “God’s Word says ‘[insert verse]’ , so I am going to take hold of that promise and my thoughts and my actions are going to follow in joy filled pursuit! I don’t have to worry because His promises are true.
You can spend years wondering if a scripture is true, frantically searching for the evidence. But you will not learn the truth of it near as fast as simply choosing to believe in the truth of it, and then aligning your thoughts and actions to it. Only then will evidence felt be right before your very eyes.
The other night I thought that thought (of God feeding me to the wolves) for the very last time because His word pierced my heart- “He is my Shepherd”- and it was clear to me, a shepherd protects its sheep from wolves. It is an image that strengthens me and I will continue to choose to align myself to that truth.
We don’t have to carry our struggles but simply rest in the promises of His Word.
I may not know my future but I do know He has a plan and will work it for my good.