In His word I put my hope 
—Psalm 130:58 (NIV)

My mom is a devoted listener of Pastor Rick Warren’s Daily Hope audio broadcast and as a result of sewing into this ministry has received different materials over the years that encourage her study of the Word.

I was in her room one day shopping around (one of my daughter privileges) when my eyes landed on a gold scripture box. The lid read Psalm 130:58 inside it were verses of hope.

My mom already had another scripture box and so while I asked her for this one as a formality I had already decided in my heart that it was mine. I remember sometime after that sitting in my apartment in downtown Long Beach, going through the verses, when I stopped at Hebrews 6:19, written in the NLT version. 

This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.

I knew this scripture in general terms. It was the verse most commonly associated with anchor symbol. Hope was strong; it kept us grounded and steady. 

Only later by studying the Word would I understand the significance of the second half of the verse. How in the construction of the tabernacle, there was a veil that only the High Priest could enter on certain days. How God was faithful to His people in all of history, but before the shedding of Christ’s blood, there was still a barrier that separated us from the Father. 

Yet in an act of sacrifice and love that veil was torn. We could now approach a God who loved us and called us His own, with a clean conscience. We were reconciled to the Father and could approach His throne confidently because of what grace afforded us. 

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews 4:16

I began to see hope in a new light. I saw how hope enabled me to live with a peace and joy freely available to me, yet I often forsook. I learned where I needed to place my hope—not in the plans I wanted God to bless, but who He was, is, and will always be. I began to recognize how hope meant I could dream boldly for what seemed impossible to man, but was a simple matter for God. 

The words in this blog are an expression of that hope—words that point to the Word, but developed through my own experiences and encounters with the Father. 

With every breath, I exhale hope. 
Hope that has never failed me yet, 
and never will.