What Are You Storing in Your Hope Chest? Asst. Pastor Vicki Gatling (August 31, 2022)
Back in the olden days, and maybe even today, some people collect things in what they called a hope chest. This chest is where they stored things that they were collecting for special occasions. For example, they might have special table linen, bed linens, clothing, special dishes, silver, furniture, jewelry, etc. Some hope chests were small and others big, but the one thing they all typically had in common was that the chests were decorative and made from cedar wood. Most people built their hope chests out of cedar wood because it is said that the natural aroma of the cedar is a great natural deterrent against moths and other pest. These pests can eat and destroy some of the items typically stored in the chest. Cedar is also used to build hope chest because the cedar wood is durable and when put under pressure it is unlikely to warp.
If we think about the hope chest in a more spiritual manner, let’s think of it as being our hearts. According to Proverbs 27:19, a person’s heart reflects the person. Therefore, every day we need to stop and look at what is filling up our hope chest (heart) and we need to make sure we are protecting it from destruction. If we allow excessive complaining, irritable moods, constant moaning and grumbling to access our hope chest (heart), our hope chest will start to fill with excessive items that will cause more harm than good. Scripture says hope does not dishearten, because God has given us Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love. If we are filling our hope chests with all this other stuff, then we are not allowing room for Holy Spirit to reside and then we lose hope because we allowed the wrong things to be stored in our hope chest. Love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5) and we want to make sure that love is what is displayed when we reach into our hope chest to show the special things that we have collected. It is said that excessive moisture can ruin a cedar chest. The cedar chest will retain the moisture and it could make the chest smell musty. This would cause the things in the chest to be of no future use if left in the chest unprotected for an extended period of time. Likewise, if we continue to allow other things to fill our spiritual hope chest, we will retain the negative things and our hope will be destroyed. The hope chest (heart) will continue to stay in good condition as long as we allow Holy Spirit to reside.
We all get distraught, from time to time, but when we find rest in God, be assured that our hope comes from Him, we will not be shaken (Psalm 62:5-6). Cedar hope chests are durable and when put under pressure they are unlikely to warp. Just like the cedar wood, if we keep our focus on God and find rest in Him, we will remain durable under pressure. We will not bend, become damaged, or deviate from His plan, because all of our help comes from The Lord.
Let us remember all of the promises that God made us and be assured that God has placed in our hope chest, the belief that we will have the opportunity to live our eternal lives in heaven because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This hope is found in scripture (1 Peter 1). God never said that we will not endure trials as we wait. But if we put joy, peace, and faith in our spiritual hope chest, and pray, while we are waiting, we will begin to overflow with hope by the power of Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)
Scripture says God delights in those who put their hope in His unfailing love. (Proverbs 147:11) Often, people will go back and look into their hope chests to admire what they have collected. As you look into your spiritual hope chest, make sure you have collected: love, joy, peace, faith, prayer, and a relationship with God.