There are certain weights in life you simply cannot carry. Jesus wants us to trust Him. 1 Peter 5:7 "Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you."

The first baggage we want to consider is HOPELESSNESS. We have to show CONFIDENCE in life because of our faith in a good God.

We must be convinced that in Christ, nothing is hopeless. No situation is hopeless and we must be greatly inspired by this HOPE that we have in Christ.

Only when you express this HOPE in life - you cannot inspire others with such HOPE. We must express this hope constantly and without waver. This confidence in God must be there.

The world is filled with hopelessness. There’s this saying: "Without Christ, it is a hopeless end. With Him, we have an endless hope." It’s a JUNGLE out there - people are lost, tired, empty, broken and aimless. Where can they find purpose and meaning in life? Where can they find HOPE?  ONLY THROUGH Christ !!!

Hope is in short supply. Life is filled with this emptiness and we need to fill it up with the hope Jesus has given us.

But sometimes, we’re like a jar with holes in it. God fills us up with His love, joy, and hope. But when we LOOK IN, we find that’s it is always lacking. It is always not full. Circumstances, people, problems... drains us. We don’t find this FULLNESS of joy, the ABUNDANT love, and this OVERWHELMING hope in life.

WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO RESTORE YOUR HOPE?
WHAT WOULD YOU NEED TO RE-ENERGIZE YOUR JOURNEY?

I would like to suggest 3 today -

(1) GO TO THE RIGHT PERSON

Get down on your knees and acknowledge Him.

When you are lost in a jungle, you need  a touch light, maps, compass, etc. may help but they are limited. You need a person, and not just any ordinary person. You don’t need someone equally confused. You need someone who knows the jungle, and knows the way out. Only ONE can restore your hope - JESUS. He is introduced to us as the SHEPHERD.

ASK JESUS TO PASS THE BROOM
A little boy was afraid of the dark. One night his mother told him to go out to the back yard and get the broom. The little boy turned to his mother and said, "Mamma, I don’t want to go out there. It’s dark." The mother smiled and reassures him, "You don’t have to be afraid of the dark. Jesus is with you and He is out there to look after you and protect you." The little boy looked at his mother real hard and asked, "are you sure He’s out there?" "Yes, I’m sure. Jesus is everywhere, and He is always ready to help you when you need him."

 

The little boy thought about it for a minute, then went to the back door and cracked it a little. Peeking out into the darkness, he called, "Jesus? If you're out there, would you please pass me the broom?

We find it hard to sense His presence. How can I best sense His presence?
TALK to Him. LISTEN to Him. He's there!

(2) ASSUME A RIGHT POSTURE

I have to BOW before Him  and acknowledge His sovereignty and trust Him.
We have to have FAITH in the sovereignty of God. The world is not being ruled by chance but by a God who is in control. Even a sparrow cannot fall without His notice. So, He cares about us. Nothing can happen that does not concern God.

Jesus does not give us hope by changing the jungle - removing all problems, all hurts, all pains. He restores our hope by giving us Himself. And He has promised to stay until the very end - "I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matt 28:20)

"But then, I want this problem to be solved. I want all thorns to be removed, leaving me just the rose." And then you find yourself still in the jungle. You’re still surrounded by tall trees and sharp thorns. You’re still open to the elements.

The jungle has not changed - it is still a jungle. It hasn’t changed, but you have.

You wanted everything else to change but instead, God did not change the circumstances. God changed you! He fills you with faith, hope and love. He fills your life with His presence and power. It's not your rescue plan; it is His.

When we pray, we relinquish in a radical way our so-called sovereignty over the purposes of our lives. We subordinate our plans, schedules and life scenarios to the infinitely wiser and more joyful work of God’s hands. Ben Patterson, Marriage Partnership, Vol. 7, no. 3.

(3) MAINTAIN THE RIGHT PERSPECTIVE

Your Shepherd knows that you were not made for this place - He reminds us in 1 Peter 2:11 that we are "like foreigners and strangers in this world."

So lift your eyes from the jungle around you to the heaven above you. Colossians 3:2 "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things."

Conclusion:

When that bag of hopelessness is thrust upon you, remember to let it go.

Don’t let it's weight sink you. The Shepherd is there to take it up but He’s just waiting for you to acknowledge Him.