Jeremiah is nicknamed “the weeping prophet”. He had a nature of being gloomy and downcast. If you have spent any time reading through the book penned by him, Lamentation, you will be quick to realize why that nickname is so fitting. His grief over God’s people is tangible. His heartache over them turning their heart from the covenant they made with Him is evident. Jeremiah had the burden of being a prophet when God’s people could not have cared less that they were God’s people. And yet Jeremiah found himself, as downcast as he was, not without hope.
“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” Lamentations 3:24
The word hope in this verse is the Hebrew word yāhal, meaning wait, hope, expect. Jeremiah was not only clinging to hope but was also staying with the expectation that the Lord would supply hope to him. Jeremiah couldn’t muster up the hope he needed to carry the weight of his weary soul; only the Lord could do that. And neither can you. We wait with the expectation of hope in this advent season. But why is hope important? Why is it necessary? Why is the hope of Christ one of the promises we receive from Him? Because the reality is that difficult times surround us or will soon surround us. They hit us like a colossal wave out of nowhere; circumstances leave us disoriented and confused about what happened and where to go next. Hope anchors us.
The security of our hope depends upon the security of what we have placed our hope in. If our hope source is faulty and fragile, then when the waves of life come to beat us down, they will carry us off. There will be nothing secure and steadfast anchoring us to a solid place. Sand and waves go hand in hand. Sand goes where the waves take it. A secure foundation of hope means our hope must be anchored to rock, not sand. The rock is solid and secure. It’s not being tossed about when waves come; it remains. Our hope must be anchored to the rock, which is Jesus. It is okay to feel hopeless. I have been there more times than I can count. Feeling hopeless is not the measure of a follower of Christ. Feeling hopeless is the measure of being human. There is a difference between the reality of feeling hopeless and the knowledge that despite it, you are, in fact, not without hope. Those two things can exist at once. Feeling and knowing are two separate things.
Feeling hopeless does not mean that what we have placed our hope in is faulty; it means our ability to cling to it when life gets hard is faulty because we are human. Fixing your eyes on Jesus gets much more complicated when life spins out of control. But in the center of the storm, there is always peace to be found! And that peace is Christ. Cling to knowing that Christ is your hope, even when all hope feels lost. Wait with the expectation that He who supplied perfect hope to you once before will supply it once again!
My name is Olivia (this is not new information). My parents picked that name for me before they ever saw my face. Before they ever held me in their arms. They named me. They chose what I would be called for my whole life. Before I ever took a breath I was loved, SO long wished for, and named. Olivia. When you look up my name it means “olive tree”. I can promise you my parents did not pick that name because of it’s meaning, they simply liked it. And in their minds it fit. But God saw their hearts, and said ‘you may have chosen this name out of simple joys but I’m writing a story with this name. With these 6 random letters placed together, I’m pouring my glory in.’
Two weeks ago our family relocated to Madrid, Spain. Would you like to know what you get when you mix extreme jet lag, confusion, and a totally new environment that looks and sounds nothing like you know…
Culture shock- noun. The feeling of disorientation experienced by someone when they are suddenly subjected to an unfamiliar culture, way of life, or set of attitudes.
Reality hit me like a ton of bricks. My mind spiraled really fast into panic mode “I don’t know where the grocery store is, much less what it’s called. But it doesn’t matter anyway because I have no car to get around or know how to navigate a metro. And I wouldn’t dare venture out anyway because my cell phone has been rendered useless. And even if I was brave and went out I couldn’t ask for directions because I speak no Spanish and can’t use Google translate because, like I already established no cell phone.” You see where this is going. My eyes and my mind had a strong deer in headlights look. And I questioned our choice to move (for about a day). Even though we were so divinely brought here (that is a story for another time), so obviously called here, so supernaturally placed here… I doubted. I doubted his goodness and his faithfulness.
On the second day we were here we had appointments to view potential homes (we are currently staying in a temporary apartment). So with my deer in headlights eyes and attitude we went. And I was about 110% sure no house we saw would feel like a home to me and even if it did it probably wouldn’t work out for it to be ours. Because we really are our own worst enemy sometimes. We walked into the first house and much to my surprise I liked it, like REALLY liked it. We finished inside the house then transitioned to look outside. We followed the realtor out the door, he was talking about this and talking about that. He was explaining how the awning worked and where the outlets were. Truth be told I was half listening because it wasn’t interesting conversation. Then he said something I will never forget, under his breath practically, barely audible, “here is the olive tree”. Everybody followed in a single file line behind him, not much to see with that they all thought. But I couldn’t follow. I was stopped dead in my tracks.
I looked at that olive tree, and it hit me. God spoke so prophetically over me in that moment and said, “Do you see what I’ve done? I did this all so you could glimpse my glory. My goodness. My faithfulness. You’re here. You Olivia, the olive tree. I planted you here. You’re rooted here already, you’re home.” All this time of waiting, of moving, of hoping, of doubting lead me here to this moment.
How many circumstances lead me here? How many puzzle pieces did God so perfectly orchestrate to land me in this moment facing this tree? I can think of a few. Trenton had to get a transfer to Spain, somebody had to plant this olive tree, this house had to be available for rent, the list goes on and on honestly. Then my mind starts to wonder would I be standing here in this moment if I never would have met Trenton? Did all those painful years of infertility my parents suffered lead me to this moment? I think it all fits. I think every single circumstance in our life leads us where we are called to go. The mountain top joys and the valleys of deep sadness, they all work together to form a beautiful masterpiece we could never even imagine existed. Because after all, thats what is promised to us. The book of Romans states “God causes EVERYTHING to work together for the GOOD of those who love him”.
I prayed for peace on that day when my heart and mind were overwhelmed. A small, sincere prayer. And I was handed peace. Literally right into my physical hand. I could reach out and touch those olive tree leaves.
When God flooded the earth it rained for 40 days and 40 nights. It did not let up. How uncertain Noah and his family must have felt. Did they doubt the faithfulness of God? Did they think they would ever get off this rocking, smelly, damp boat? I bet they CRAVED peace. Peace in the waves rocking them, peace for the storm that didn’t seem like it would ever let up, peace for their hearts and minds. Then the rain stopped. And they waited. For 150 days the earth was overcome with flooding. And now, if not already I bet they really began to cry out to God. Maybe they said things like: “How much longer Lord must we wait with no sign of this flood ending?” “God why have you forgotten about us?” “We were faithful to your command and you left us here to die!”
Now scripture never says that they actually said these things, or questioned these things in their hearts. But I would be surprised if they didn’t. Wouldn’t you have? I know I would have doubted the faithfulness of God, even though he had brought me so far already. Even though 100% of the time before he had been faithful to me. My favorite parts of scripture is when it uses the words “But God”, and thats exactly what is used in this recounting of Noah’s experience. Right after it says how long the flood waters sat there, right when their doubt was at its peak and they felt totally abandoned, it says “But God remembered Noah”. Just like he remembers us today. God was waiting for the perfect moment to extend His glory for Noah’s good. When Noah sent the dove out for the second time it returned with a freshly plucked olive leaf. This is why we still see the olive branch as a symbol of peace today. It signaled the end of God’s judgement on the earth. It was a sign to Noah and his family that they had not been forgotten. It was the peace Noah and his family so desperately longed for. And for me it was the peace I needed in my heart to know this city I now call home, was where I can be planted and bloom.
I want you to hear my heart here. This is NOT a story about me and my cool experience. Even though it happened to me. This is a story about God and his supreme glory and unwavering faithfulness. It’s about how I keep learning just how faithful He is, and how true the name Prince Of Peace is. We all crave peace in one form or another in a particular area of our life. With a small three word prayer, “Give me peace” God unraveled a story he has been writing a long long long time before I ever came to be. This was all pre ordained before I was even born. Before my parents ever met, He had a plan. He was orchestrating this beautiful picture and I never even knew it. I just get to experience it and be thankful for it.
When I stopped and stared that day at my olive tree, I saw so much of God’s faithfulness planted where I now stood. Maybe you’re struggling to find peace in your life. Maybe there are situations beyond your control that don’t seem fair or good. And my heart hurts for you. I may not know what you’re walking through or experience what you’ve experienced but I have felt pain. I know disappointment, and how sometimes life doesn’t seem to be going the way you thought it would go. But I also know this God is faithful, his promises are true, and his peace passes understanding.
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