My Favorite Four-Letter Word

I hear this word five days a week at the end of *Allen Jackson NOW. This is a new half-hour program where Pastor Jackson of Murfreesboro, TN handles pertinent topics with interviews, then ends with a pastoral perspective. He closes by saying, “I believe we have more reasons for hope than despair.”

Love used to be my favorite word, but it varies from the mundane to the sublime. I love lemon pie, I love going on vacation I love my husband, I love God and God loves me.

Levels of love seem to vary, depending on other people; however, hope is a personal choice.

Job is one of the best examples of hope. His wife had no patience with his suffering. She said, “Do you still retain your integrity? Curse God and die.”

To Job’s credit, he let her negativity float on by. Hope was his choice, and he would not give it up. He said she was speaking foolishly and concluded with this: “Should we accept from God only good and not adversity?” (**Job 2:9-10)

When three well-meaning but non-comforting friends came by, Job had an even stronger answer: “Though He slay me, I will hope in Him.” (Job 13:15). His hope gave him the strength to stay focused on his faith.

Hope results in joy. Characteristics of believers are to include being joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and persistent in prayer. (Romans 12:12) Thank God for the work of the Holy Spirit and the Holy Scriptures to help us develop these three things in our lives.

If you have not read the book of Job lately, now would be a great time to do so.

Job’s story is one of personal patience, perseverance, and his choice to endure. The way I see it, hope might have been Job’s favorite four-letter word, too.

*Allen Jackson NOW is available on TBN (Trinity Broadcasting Network) Monday through Friday. I watch on DISH, but if you prefer streaming look for their app at tbn.org.

**All scriptures are from the Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible (BSB), Published by Bible Hub, Pittsburg, PA, USA, Copyright 2022, Used by Permission.

Pixabay Illustration: I pulled this one years ago for my picture file. That was before I knew I was to credit someone.