Some Good Questions Before Y2006!

Our Help and Our Hope
by John Fischer

O God our help in ages past—Our hope for years to come…

This is the time of year when we focus on God and thank Him for getting us through another year. Remember Y2K? We were wondering if we’d survive the turnover to a new century. Hard to believe that was six years ago.

As the hymn writer has reminded us, God is both our help and our hope—two four-letter words that pretty much sum up what we need to move into 2006. First, we look back on how He has helped us in the past.

The greatest thing about this is you can go back as far as you want into the ages past and still find God there, thinking about you. "Long ago, even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes" (Ephesians 1:4). (By the way, we are so thankful it says without fault "in His eyes," because we have plenty of faults in other people’s eyes, including our own.) The point being, you can never go too far back to not have anyone to worship. ("In the beginning, God…")

But right now, it would be good to focus on just this last year and think about how God has specifically helped us.

• What do you have now that you didn’t have a year ago? Think in terms of personal growth, experiences, and people God has blessed you with.
• How do you know God better than you did at this time a year ago?
• What more do you know about Him?
• What more do you know about yourself that He has revealed to you?
• What struggle has He helped you overcome?
• Is there anyone in your life who wasn’t there a year ago that you can honestly thank God for? What has He helped you to accomplish? How has He been faithful to you even when you have been faithless?

Now think about this next year and how God is our only true hope. Think of specifically where you need to apply some of that hope.

• What are you afraid of?
• Where are you feeling inadequate?
• What do you want to change, and how can God help you?
• How about your plans?
• How big do you want to make them?
• How far are you willing to stretch?

For all of this, He is our hope. And for all that we will face this next year that we don’t know anything about right now, He is our hope. He will be enough.

"Our fears for today, our worries for tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can’t keep God’s love away" (Romans 8:38).

John Fischer is the Senior Writer for Purpose Driven Life Daily Devotionals. He resides in Southern California with his wife, Marti and son, Chandler. They also have two adult children, Christopher and Anne. John is a published author and popular speaker.