TOKONAKI ME 9, 2026
2 KALONIKALI 5-8; SAAME 42:1-11
We all tie our hope to something, and what controls your hope controls your heart. And what controls your heart controls you and everything you do.
Ko e tokotaha kotoa ‘oku nono’o ‘ene ‘amanaki ki he me’a, pea ko e me’a ko ia ‘oku ne pule’i ho’o ‘amanaki, ‘oku ne pule’i ho loto. Pea ko e me’a ‘oku ne pule’i ho loto, ‘oku ne pule’i koe mo e me’a kotoa ‘oku ke fai.
Hope is in the heart and language of every human being.
"I hope you're doing well."
"I hope I get the job."
"I hope the weather is good."
"I hope my marriage problem will be solved."
"I hope he grows up to love Jesus."
"I hope to get over this sickness."
"I hope that what God says is true."
"I hope I can afford it."
Hope is an expectation tied to a particular object or outcome. Everything we do every day is fueled by some kind of hope in something or someone. We are motivated and guided by hope in ways we might not even recognize. The problem is that so much of what we hope in fails us. Hope in marriage is often dented and weakened because marriage is an intimate relationship between two people who still battle with sin. Hope for our children weakens as we realize that, even though we can guide, provide for, and discipline them, we have no power whatsoever to control their hearts. Hope in your job is rocky since you can't control your boss, the corporation you work for, or the economy. Hope in your physical strength wanes as age and illness weaken you. The failure of our horizontal hopes makes commitment to vertical hope (hope in God) even more important.
In 2 Chronicles 5 Israel is in a moment of national celebration. They are celebrating not because of political or military victories. No, the festivities are deeply spiritual; they get to the core of who these people are and why they continue to exist. Solomon has completed the building of the temple; the ark of the covenant and all the furnishings for the Holy Place are now in the temple; and the glory-cloud of the Lord has descended on his house. It is a glorious moment, setting Israel apart from every other nation on earth. The temple, the ark of the covenant, and the visible indication of God's dwelling with his people together remind the people not only of who they are, but of where lasting, faithful, and trustworthy hope is to be found. In response to God's faithfulness, the people sing, "He is good, for his steadfast love endures forever" (2 Chron. 5:13). Israel was delivered from Egypt because the steadfast love of the Lord endures forever. They were sustained in the wilderness because the steadfast love of the Lord endures forever. They conquered the nations in the promised land because the steadfast love of the Lord endures forever. They are a nation with a temple filled with the Lord's presence because the steadfast love of the Lord endures forever.
Nothing we put our hope in for this life will last forever, except the steadfast love of the Lord. Putting your hope in him is never a risk. He is sovereign, he is almighty, he is holy, he is faithful, and he is good. Rest your hope in your Lord; he is worthy of your trust.
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