Yet I will dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. The Lord is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. (Lamentations 3:21-23, 25 NLT, emphasis mine)
When I read Lamentations 3:21, I was struck by the phrase, “yet I still dare to hope.“ It reminded me of the title of a recent book, The Audacity of Hope.
When we take a dare, often it is to do something dangerous, courageous, even bold. In a dare, we risk something. Perhaps it is personal safety, money, or something else. Regardless, the elements of risk, danger and uncertainty are evident.
As a kid, I took a dare to cross a bridge at the edge of a roadway that hovered a dozen feet over a stony creek bed. The very few inches of pebbly concrete that cleared the fence and pipe - which were part of the structure - left little room for error.
As neighborhood kids, we dared each other to shimmy across. Only the nimble, strong, and brave were able to muster the courage it took to accomplish this feat. The drop to the stony creek below revealed a very real and present danger.
Needless to say, I successfully navigated the precipice, and joined the elite group of kids who were bold enough to successfully cross to the other side. I will never forget how daunting it was to focus, move and keep on moving even in fearful conditions.
How like that is today’s verse: Yet I will dare to hope. In the context of this verse, the author is looking at a pretty bleak and desolate situation, yet dares to … hope. Not any other verb is used, just hope. Belief in what the writer cannot see. The author of this verse dares to have faith.
This hope is rooted in God’s faithfulness and mercies. They are new each morning. When I think about the sunrise, and sunset, the daylight and the night, I realize that nature is a reflection of the faithfulness of God. We do not control the sunrise, the clouds suspended in the sky, the time of the sun’s setting, yet we experience them. Every day. With the dawn of each new day, we see the faithfulness of nature reflecting the very character of a faithful, merciful, loving and endlessly creative God.
So, when the world makes no sense, and all seems to be crashing around you, and there appears to be no real solutions or answers, remember this: dare to hope. Just dare to hope. Take a venture away from your situation or circumstances and remember the faithfulness of God. He created the universe, holds it in his hands, and despite the way we see things, is still in control.
Lord, because of your sovereignty, power, infinite creativity and love, each one of us can dare to hope. I choose to hope in you, in your word, in your promises, in your provision, and in your help. Great is your faithfulness.
