How do I express hope when I have confidence in my good Father, yet what I see is anything but hopeful? I find myself here in situations ranging from the state of the church in the UK to the path of ministry that the Lord has me on. I have no clue as to the practical solution, yet know it will be good because God is good.
I feel a need to describe the challenge of the situation. However, when I express myself people hear depression and lack of hope. I am like a disciple before the feeding of the 5000 to whom Jesus has asked the impossible. My response is to examine the need (a years wages worth of bread), and our resources (five loaves and two fish). This makes me sound depressed but, in my heart I am looking at Jesus. I know he is bigger than either need or resources. I can trust Him to bring joy.
We live in a world that wants methods to solve problems, and a pronouncement that Jesus is going to sort it out doesn’t seem to cut it. Most want a ministry strategy that when presented will clearly lead to a resolution to the problem. I have seen so many fail that I am left with no answers but to wait on God in prayer, looking for Him to intervene in a way I could never predict. Yet even here many assess this as a strategy. Even in the church it seems we want to walk by sight not by faith.