Where is Your Hope?

“The spirit of a man sustains him in sickness, But as for a broken spirit, who can bear it?”

Proverbs 18:14 AMP

Our verse today can be broken down into a simple question; “Where have you put your hope?” The Hebrew word for Spirit in this verse is the word used to describe the presence of God. If refers to the mind, heart and emotions of a man. I am reminded of an important verse in the book of Genesis,

“then the LORD God formed [that is, created the body of] man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being [an individual complete in body and spirit].”

Genesis 2:7 AMP

Notice that it was the Spirit of God within them that made them “complete” in body and Spirit.” Man can only experience completeness and peace when the Spirit of the living God is resting at home in his life! This life is contrasted against the state of being with a spirit, death! Death reigned from Adam until today, but its penalty is only exacted against the flesh, not our spirit! Nowhere in the Scripture do we read about the redemption of this body. Remember Romans 6:23?

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God [that is, His remarkable, overwhelming gift of grace to believers] is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 6:23 AMP

We must remember that the body, not under the influence of the Holy Spirit is a death producing machine! The Apostle Paul put it this way,

“For those who are living according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh [which gratify the body], but those who are living according to the Spirit, [set their minds on] the things of the Spirit [His will and purpose].:”

Romans 8:5 AMP

Again, we read the following plea from Paul,

“Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts and passions. 13Do not go on offering members of your body to sin as instruments of wickedness. But offer yourselves to God [in a decisive act] as those alive [raised] from the dead [to a new life], and your members [all of your abilities–sanctified, set apart] as instruments of righteousness [yielded] to God. 14For sin will no longer be a master over you, since you are not under Law [as slaves], but under [unmerited] grace [as recipients of God’s favor and mercy].” 

Romans 6:12-14 AMP

Living according to the flesh is a futile attempt to fulfill its desires which can never happen. It is the realization of this fact that drives people to take even their own lives. Christ offers us reasonable alternative; Acknowledge your weakness and fall on His grace! What a great promise we have from God,

“Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life].”

2 Corinthians 5:17 AMP

No matter how dep the hole, there is always hope for the Christin that God will fulfill His promise,

“Then David said to his son Solomon, “Be strong and courageous, and take action; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you nor abandon you [but will guide you in the construction] until you have finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD.”

1 Chronicles 28:20 AMP

We accept the reality of the death of our flesh and the promise of a new home for our spirits. That is why the writer of Hebrews askes, “oh death where is thy sting?” It is that hope that is the anchor of our lives. Without hope, man becomes a broken vessel with all the things he is trying to put in it running out the cracks and holes! 

I want to encourage you today to seek Christ first in everything you do. The Scripture is clear that we are not our own. The promise of God to us is that He will not abandon of forsake us until we have “finished all the work for the service of the house of God! Have a blessed day, Pastor Ken

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