- My hope is in you all day long – Psalm 25:5
“Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.” - My soul waits. In the Word, I hope. – Psalm 130:5
“I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope;” - Hope in the Lord… renewed strength & not grow weary. – Isaiah 40:30-31
“Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” - Good to wait quietly and hope – Lamentations 3:25-26
“The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” - Wait for your God always – Hosea 12:6
“So you, by the help of your God, return, hold fast to love and justice, and wait continually for your God.” - Wait until the Lord comes – 1 Corinthians 4:4-5
“For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.”
like Anna – Luke 2:36-38
“And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.”
hope
Whole Armor of God
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand inthe evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.
Ephesians 6:10-20
I just love this passage. It is a great and comprehensive list of what we need as we walk out our faith:
- Belt = truth
- Breastplate = righteousness (being right with God)
- Shoes = gospel of peace
- Shield = faith
- Helmet = the hope of our salvation
- Sword = the Holy Spirit, the Word of God
Parallels:
- Belt = holds our pants and our dignity up
- Breastplate = protects our heart and vital organs
- Shoes = protects our feet, enables us to walk great distances
- Shield = keeps bad stuff out
- Helmet = protects our brain, our minds
- Sword = offensive weapon to cut down our enemy
I’ve worked through a marvelous study called “Your Strong Suit” by Donna Pyle. I highly recommend it! Reading this passage again makes me want to go back and do Donna’s study again. It’s now a DVD too!