When You Need Hope

Do you recall the story of the Shunammite woman (2 Kings 4:8–17)? A woman of great social and financial prominence, she also had the gift of empathic hospitality; she built an “upper chamber” onto her home so the prophet Elisha had a place to pray and rest his head. She was a capable, no-nonsense woman who used her smarts, standing, and wealth to fix nearly any issue.  

And yet there was one problem she couldn’t fix. When Elisha asked her how he could repay her generosity, she demurred, “I live among my own people.” (In other words, she was all good.) Elisha’s astute servant, Gehazi, then mentioned a dashed hope so disheartening that she dare not whisper it: She was childless. Elisha promised that she’d give birth the following year, and I can hear her voice cracking in reply.  

No, my lord, O man of God, do not lie to your maidservant.” 2 KINGS 4:16 NASB  

Oh my friend. As someone who pined for a baby for years and was told she’d probably never have one, I relate to her response deeply. This woman had hoped before and had been disappointed. A sensible woman, she wouldn’t let the pain of that disappointment demolish her faith in God. Instead, she’d put it in a box and buried it. The pain of that unanswered prayer was too much to bear. And now she was being asked to hope again. 

Sometimes it feels easier to carry the burden of an unanswered prayer than to hold on to the hope that God will answer it.  

Sometimes it feels like it takes an awful lot of courage to hope.  

And yet, when we commit our lives to Jesus, hope is our inheritance. This hope isn’t wishful thinking. It’s an expectation bolstered by confidence in the One from whom all good things come. It’s an outlook based on the fact that we’ve read the last page of the book, and we know that the ending is good. Very, very good. When the concept of hope stings, how do we coax ourselves to try again? Listen to the psalmist:  

For You are my hope; O Lord God, You are my confidence from my youth. PSALM 71:5 NASB 

Hope for the future is built on looking back at our past. 

When we run out of the courage to hope, let’s look at God’s track record. That’s why the Israelites built altars of remembrance—to encourage their faith in the hard times ahead. We recall God’s faithfulness by looking in the rearview mirror. It gives us strength to drive forward, knowing that His hand is on the steering wheel.  

The Shunammite woman had buried her hope, and yet the pain of that disappointment was close to the surface. Our hope isn’t to be buried, because to do so begets a sense of self-preservation. But we aren’t to preserve ourselves. Our Maker does that. And He wants to treat every part of us, even the parts that are hurt. Excavate that hope. Pull it out of the darkness and lay it before Jesus, our living hope. Just as it’s out of character for Him to be a false hope, it’s out of ours to be a hopeless people. Dare to hope again, my friend, not because hope answered is the goal, but because hope satisfied in Him is our inheritance. 

What prayer have you given up on hope of God answering? As you make this delicious khachapuri recipe, think of one time in your life that God has answered a deeply needed prayer. Talk to Him about it. 

PRAY WITH ME  

Jesus, we won’t mince words here. Sometimes You disappoint us. It feels impossible to hold onto hope. But right now we remind our souls that You are good and faithful, and that if You’ve said no to something, it’s for our good. And if You’ve said not yet, it’s because You’ve got something even better in store for us. We remind ourselves of Your faithfulness to us in the past, and we remind ourselves that ultimately, our future is secure because of Your sacrifice on the cross. One day every one of our hopes will be realized when we get to spend eternity with You. Until then, help us to know when to let go of things we hope for that aren’t good for us, and when to courageously hold onto hope for those things You’ve promised us. Thank You, Jesus. Amen. 

 

Download a recipe here for Chili Cheese Khachapuri from Unwind: A Devotional Cookbook for the Harried & Hungry from Aarti Sequeira. I was thinking about a khachapuri, a cheese and egg bread that is meant to be shared. I thought it might be applicable because the egg is buried in the cheese (as the Shunammite woman buried her hope), but given that she was a woman of hospitality, I think she’d like the idea that once the egg yolk and cheese have been whisked together, everyone pulls off a piece of the crust to dip into that rich sauce. 

This article was written by Aarti Sequeira. Aarti is a cooking-show host, cookbook author, journalist, television producer, and food personality. She is a mainstay on Food Network after winning season six of The Next Food Network Star with her trademark combination of an infectious cackle and a unique signature food style: American favorites with an Indian soul. As a passionate Christian, she also speaks to women of faith about overcoming fear and the sacred nature of breaking bread. She lives in North Carolina with her children and husband, actor Brendan McNamara. For more from Aarti, check out her collection at DaySpring.com or at retailers near you.