Hope and Desperation

I read a joke recently entitled ‘The New Guy.’ It went like this: “We all need real hope. There were four ladies in a nursing home one time that were sitting there talking, and the nurse brings in a new man to the facility. He was quite dapper for an older man, and one of the ladies asked him where he had been for so long. He responded by saying he had been in prison 25-years for killing his wife. One lady perked up, smiled, and said, “So, you’re single then?” While humorous these jovial words provide great insight into the aspect of human nature.  We strive for hope therefore there are those occasions when we grasp for any sign that might just fill the void; in doing so we often violate the admonitions given to us in scripture to be patient. James declared that this little attribute can bring us to a state of perfection resulting in our wanting nothing. Luke chimed in by repeating the words of Jesus, “In your patience possess you your souls.” However, the problem with humanity is, we work in desperation trying to manufacture something that is to be a natural experience in all of us. When we engage in the acceptance of anything for the sake of something—hope, then we circumvent the hand and heart of Sovereignty. But when we do it God’s way there is that Divine exchange where He provides all that we need if we will trust Him with all that we have. This means we are willing to be patient, because patience turns desperation into hope.  We wait for the appropriate time and the specific thing that God wants to give us. Just think how many divorces could have been avoided if the husband or wife would have passed up the imprisoned has-been in order to wait for their liberated soul-mate? Think of how many successful temptations would have been rendered null and void if the individual had not toyed with false-hope; not to mention the careers, the gifts, the talents, and the lives that could have been saved. When we operate out of desperation we fracture our faith, force the future, and most of all frustrate God. We have been given the promise of hope; sometimes it comes with great ease, other times you have to be patient and just wait for it.