I Place My Hope

The troubles of my heart
They’re tearing me apart
How I need Your saving hand
To grant me a new start
Lonely and afraid
I call upon Your name
Save me from my enemies
And cover all my shame

I will lift my eyes
From this fragile life
For You will rescue me
You are my Prince of Peace
And I lift up my soul
To You who makes things whole
Oh, mercy-love of old
In You I place my hope
I place my hope

So guide me in Your truth
Be my strong refuge
Oh, forgive my doubting heart
And lead me back to You
Help me to believe
Your love is all I need
Even when the storm is strong
You will provide for me

Even in my darkest place
There’s a promise I will claim
Those whose hope is in Your grace
They will never be ashamed

Ellie Holcomb
written along with Ben Bannister*  ~  *   ~   *  ~  * This song gives me such a joyful conviction to sing out my profession of HOPE and TRUST in God’s promises. My favorite part is the bridge where Ellie Holcomb sings “…there’s a promise I will claim—those whose hope is in Your grace, they will never be ashamed.”  I, too, claim that promise!  How about you?  We have this HOPE…we do rejoice in this HOPE…we are not ashamed by this HOPE.

Such hope never disappoints or deludes or shames us,
for God’s love has been poured out in our hearts
through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us.
Romans 5:5 AMP

Leading up to the promise written above, listen to what Paul writes (in verses 1-4):

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith,
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Through Him we have also obtained access by faith
into this grace in which we stand,
and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings,
knowing that suffering produces endurance,
and endurance produces character,
and character produces hope,
and hope does not put us to shame….

I trust (and pray) that these words inspire and strengthen your hearts (as they do my own)!  Truly it is not in our own ability to figure it out but rather to recognize this grace and hope…and believe and trust.  Our part is to ‘hold…firm’ and to “stand” and to “grasp and hold fast.” Jesus did the hard part!  And God has made His promise and oath!

So when trials come (and we know they do!),
and we are suffering (as does happen at times),
we only need to grab hold
of the sure and steadfast anchor of our soul—our HOPE.

For me, memorizing Scripture is the only sure and reliable way to hold these truths from the Bible in my mind.  ‘Cause I can’t always sit down at the computer, and log into some Bible software, and pull up a verse or two!  Or I don’t always have my Scripture memory book or memorization cards right at my fingertips.  But (for better or worse!) I do always have my mind with me…and can reach into this treasure of memorized Scripture passages to be encouraged and made strong.  Here are some additional verses you might memorize (or write down on little cards to carry along with you!).

Sustain me according to Your word, that I may live;
and do not let me be ashamed of my hope.
Psalm 119:116

For we share in Christ, if only we hold our first confidence firm to the end,
Hebrews 3:14 RSV

This was so that, by two unchangeable things [His promise and His oath]
in which it is impossible for God ever to prove false or deceive us,
we who have fled [to Him] for refuge
might have mighty indwelling strength and strong encouragement
to grasp and hold fast the hope appointed for us and set before [us].
[Now] we have this [hope] as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul [it cannot slip and it cannot break down under whoever steps out upon it—a hope] that reaches farther and enters into [the very certainty of the Presence] within the veil,
Where Jesus has entered in for us….
Hebrews 6:18-20 AMP

I encourage you, friends, to sing along with Ellie; be strong in your conviction that “...there’s a promise I will claim—those whose hope is in Your grace, they will never be ashamed.” I am praying for you (myself, too!) that we will remember that we HAVE this HOPE and that we will cling to the anchor of our soul!  God always keeps His promises!