One of the Hebrew words in the Bible that is translated "hope" in English means, "attached by a cord."
It makes me think about an electrical cord, plugged in the outlet, receiving power from the power source. If it's unplugged, the appliance doesn't get anymore power, and it immediately loses whatever function it had.
The mixer can't mix, the blender can't blend, the vacuum can't vacuum as long as it stays unplugged.
Just like people lose hope when they get disconnected from God.
Sin disconnects us from God. Rebellion disconnects us from God. Selfishness disconnects us from God. Snubbing God disconnects us, too.
We quickly become hopeless when we are disconnected from God. We feel surly and sad, and downhearted, maybe even miserable, not getting power because we are disconnected from the Lord.
The pray-er can't pray, the worker can't work, the worshipper can't worship as long as he stays unplugged from the Lord.
If we're disconnected and the hope isn't flowing from God the source to us, we need to get plugged back in.
The Good News is that God lets us plug back in anytime we want. If anyone confesses his/her sin, He is faithful and fair and forgiving.
Another analogy would be a child in the womb, attached by the umbilical cord to the mother. The baby grows and is nourished by the mother through the cord. All the nutrients, all the oxygen, everything the baby needs to grow to maturity comes through the cord.
As long as the cord is intact and attached to the mother, the baby has expectation, the hope of completing its gestation and being born. If the cord kinks or comes loose from the mother, the baby is in grave danger! Unless the cord can be restored, the baby will die. It cant receive what it needs without that cord!
And its also like a pumpkin growing on a vine. The vine has leaves that draw nutrients from the soil and energy from the sun and make power that the young fruit needs to grow and mature. As long as the pumpkin is attached to the vine, it gets the power it needs to grow into a useful fruit. If it separates from the vine, it dies from lack of power.
Feeling hopeless?
Connect to God.
It makes me think about an electrical cord, plugged in the outlet, receiving power from the power source. If it's unplugged, the appliance doesn't get anymore power, and it immediately loses whatever function it had.
The mixer can't mix, the blender can't blend, the vacuum can't vacuum as long as it stays unplugged.
Just like people lose hope when they get disconnected from God.
Sin disconnects us from God. Rebellion disconnects us from God. Selfishness disconnects us from God. Snubbing God disconnects us, too.
We quickly become hopeless when we are disconnected from God. We feel surly and sad, and downhearted, maybe even miserable, not getting power because we are disconnected from the Lord.
The pray-er can't pray, the worker can't work, the worshipper can't worship as long as he stays unplugged from the Lord.
If we're disconnected and the hope isn't flowing from God the source to us, we need to get plugged back in.
The Good News is that God lets us plug back in anytime we want. If anyone confesses his/her sin, He is faithful and fair and forgiving.
Another analogy would be a child in the womb, attached by the umbilical cord to the mother. The baby grows and is nourished by the mother through the cord. All the nutrients, all the oxygen, everything the baby needs to grow to maturity comes through the cord.
As long as the cord is intact and attached to the mother, the baby has expectation, the hope of completing its gestation and being born. If the cord kinks or comes loose from the mother, the baby is in grave danger! Unless the cord can be restored, the baby will die. It cant receive what it needs without that cord!
And its also like a pumpkin growing on a vine. The vine has leaves that draw nutrients from the soil and energy from the sun and make power that the young fruit needs to grow and mature. As long as the pumpkin is attached to the vine, it gets the power it needs to grow into a useful fruit. If it separates from the vine, it dies from lack of power.
Feeling hopeless?
Connect to God.
