Hope springs eternal in the puppy beast…

“All the great spiritual leaders in history were people of hope. Abraham, Moses, Ruth, Mary, Jesus, Rumi, Gandhi, and Dorothy Day all lived with a promise in their hearts that guided them toward the future without the need to know exactly what it would look like. Let’s live with hope.” – Henri J. M. Nouwen

For as many of us that have or have had pets, there are a few essentials of sustenance for which contentment hinges upon – attention, affection and treats. Highly interactive pets which live with us as family members find these resonating points in their lives with the people they love. Such things for them are where their contentment resides, and become the source of their uncontainable excitement and continual hope in their eyes. From the cat which lies down on the keyboard of your laptop, gently reminding you that those fingers would be better used in petting them than typing, to the dog that hears the words park or walk and will not stop bouncing around from excitement. There are essential parts of enjoyment in the activities, but there is also a resonance in their happiness for the connection to the object of their affection. In a variety of ways, style and mannerisms, we see what “seeking, overflowing with hope” looks like as we interact with our furry companions. In the contemplation of unwavering hope, we can see the essence of dependence and trust, and try to understand where we source these things in our own lives.

For a variety of people in our culture, living with hope can be based in family, friends, jobs, finances, social position, the economy, political ideology and a myriad of other inconsistencies which can fall short in our times of need. Hopefully for those in Christ, the resting place of our hope is transcendent of the menial. Hopefully we find it in something well more significant; hopefully in someone far more sovereign. Christ came to give us hope that is unshakeable and to provide for us fulfillment in that hope. When we know Him we are filled with a hope which fives peace and transcends circumstances. Just as the dog’s wildly wagging tail at seeing his master’s return flows with uncontrollable excitement; so also are our hearts overwhelmed with joy and peace, abounding in hope in Him and the faithful return of our Master.

It’s 6pm and I come through the front door. Tired from work, arms full of groceries and a bouncing dog jumping up into me, as I struggle to get through the front door; He is so excited to see me that he can barely stand it as I try to settle myself on the inside of the house. My bustling does not deter his joy; the delight never wavers in his eyes. Day in and day out, there is a longing for attention that keeps him rushing to me at the sight of me entering the room. Moments full of petting are the only soothing for the excitement. In knowing that I am near, he lays down beside me, content that I have returned. This is the echo of hope fulfilled; peaceful contentment, calmness and security. It is in these moments I wonder how we would change or how our perspectives would change if this was the manner which we waited for the Lord. How does it change us to seek Him with the insatiable hope that is only fulfilled in his presence? Joseph was someone who knew this hope in the presence of the Lord and his experience of it. As we go through our days we must seek attention from the Almighty in our hearts, the guiding of the Spirit in our prayers, and the patience to be conscious of the need for God’s presence in the interactions of our lives. When we long for the Master to come home and be with us in our hearts, we become excited for the soothing in our souls which can only come from being near to his presence. As Joseph was continually conscious of God’s presence, he let the truth of that guide him through his rollercoaster ride of experience. Regardless of circumstances, his yearning for God’s presence was unwavering for he knew that God was with him through all of life’s promotions and demotions. From the pit to Potipher’s, from the prison to the palace; Joseph allowed his continual hope in the Lord who was with him, to give him perspective through life’s ordeals and successes. God gives us his presence and delights in us when we seek for Him to be the fulfillment of our hope. Just as with Joseph, God’s presence reassures hope; it revives our hearts intimately and confidently, as He is the only source of eternal sustenance which can restore our hearts to peace.

In times of consciousness of his presence we are intimately filled with the affection the Father has for us. We become aware of how that affection manifests itself in peace, community, unity in Him and love that we receive and share with others. This affection reveals how his providence and provision are the identifying marks of lives lived in Him. In Matthew 6, Jesus tells us of our significance to the Father, our value to Him and how much more concern which is held for us over the animals of the earth. He encourages us to view our worry in light of this care and concern, as even the animals are marked by the providence and provision of the Almighty – yet we are far beyond their value to the God of the universe. As we are drawn nearer to his presence and are covered in his affection, we come to know ourselves and our situations in light of his provision and providence. The story of Joseph in Genesis 37 to 50 is overflowing with the markings of providence and provision. We have come to know his story, specifically identified in the Lord being with him, even amidst others directly wronging him and wrongfully accusing him. The hope which Joseph knows through all of this is what affords him the response, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good.” He was conscious of God’s providence, presence and provision through circumstances that stretched him to possible confusion of the moment; but staying in the perspective of God’s promise is what kept his hope alive while waiting for the Lord to bring it about. Promise is the vehicle of hope. As hope is a mixture of desire and expectation, promise from an Almighty God combines desires which honor the Father and give glory to the Son, and expectations based in the limitless love and grace in the God of the Ages. Hope in the Almighty is based in the promises to be near to us, to carry our burdens, to forgive us, to give us the peace of Christ which transcends all understanding. We hope in good things from the Father and long for his affection.

As our fuzzy friends know the insatiable hope that is always one dog treat away from fulfillment. I am always amazed at “the goggies,” as I call them, sit expectantly while I’m eating; furiously hoping that I might give them some of what smells so good. At times they follow me around as I walk by where their food and dog treats are, looking up with asking eyes to see if it’s the time for a treat. Hopefully, wide-eyed, longingly sitting, waiting for their Master to fulfill their hope; as my mother often says, hope truly does, “spring eternal in the puppy beast.” Though I am not as benevolent as God, nor can I give them anything lasting, the unfettered hope which they cling to is something we can be in touch with as we place our hope in the Almighty God. He is worthy of the insatiable hope which is only filled in his promise, provision, presence and providence. He has promised that He will never leave us nor forsake us. The perspective we know inside of his promise is that He has promised to be with us, love us, forgive us, guide us, teach us and draw our hearts nearer to Him as He leads us into his eternal glory. Our hope is renewed daily; as he gives abundantly in new blessings every morning. He was not even reserved in his blessings so much that He sent his Son to die on our behalf, that we might share our lives and eternity with Him in his presence, providence, provision and promise; this is the measure of his love for us. Let us unswervingly hope in the God who rules and overrules in the hearts of men and women – and in the world which He created.

As our hope springs in the eternal Lord, let us be conscious as Joseph was, in the promise, provision, presence and providence of God. Even when he did not understand why he was in the pit or imprisoned, he allowed the peace of his secure hope in God’s providence to keep him open to what God would have him do in each situation. Let our hope be like this in the Lord. Let our hope in the God of the Ages be like the excited, unwavering delight which befalls our furry companions. Let us not allow our perspective of God’s promise to be shaken by not having the details of the future worked out in front of us. Let us hope in Him, for He is good. We have the affection and attention of a Father who sent his Son on our behalf and the treats He gives us are those which settle us to the core of our being with peace, and provide us hope for a future secure in Him. Let us live with lives marked by his presence and providence. Let’s live with hope.