Hope - A Close 2nd to the Greatest Spiritual Gift
"Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God." Psalm 42:5 & 11
"Here there are two evils specified, which, however apparently different, yet assail our hearts at the same time; the one is discouragement, and the other is disquietude. When we are quite downcast, we are not free of a feeling of disquietude, which leads us to murmur and complain. The remedy to both of them is here added, 'hope in God,' which alone inspires our minds, in the first place, with confidence in the midst of the greatest troubles; and, secondly, by the exercise of patience, preserves them in peace. In what follows, the Psalmist very well expresses the power and nature of hope by these words, 'I shall yet praise Him;' for it has the effect of elevating our thoughts to the contemplation of the grace of God, when it is hidden from our view." John Calvin, Heart Aflame
As Paul taught in 1 Corinthians about spiritual gifts, he spoke about the visible gifts (healing, prophecy, speaking in tongues, etc) giving way to the invisible gifts of faith, hope and love. He said, "The greatest of these is love" (1 Cor. 13:13). Although love is the greatest invisible spiritual gift of any and every Christian, hope is indeed a very close second. Calvin says that the power of hope elevates our thoughts to ponder His grace and inspires our hearts to praise Him with worship. Isaiah says that hope renews our strength and that in it we will 'soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint' (Isaiah 40:31). Peter says that in Christ we have been given birth into a living hope through His resurrection from the dead (1 Peter 1:3). The writer of Hebrews says that this hope is an anchor for the soul (Heb. 6:19).
This is why the Psalmist twice questions the mindset of his own soul here in Psalm 42, "Why are you downcast? Why so disturbed?" He knew God's nearness and the preciousness of His love. He knew of His strength and provision, but yet his soul was sad. His question to his soul was actually a call to remember. Satan's greatest arrow is the deceiving emotion of feeling abandoned. But, like a parent to frightened child in the dark whispering, "I am right here." So is the power of hope when all seems lost. Put your hope in God and be reminded, "He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all-- how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?" (Romans 8:32).
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