Midweek Musing- July 23, 2025

Already Grateful, Still Hoping

Can you remember moments in you past that now seem almost sacred sometimes because of what God had done? Sometimes we hear them called them God winks. These are those moments when your heart was full of gratitude, and you knew, beyond any doubt, that God had shown up in your life? Maybe it was when the medical test came back clear, or the new job fell perfectly into place, or the forgiveness you’d been praying for finally arrived. Maybe it was sitting on the shore watching the sunset or in a moment of rocking a newborn to sleep.

In those moments, Psalm 85 feels deeply personal:

"Lord, you were favorable to your land; you restored the fortunes of Jacob. You forgave the iniquity of your people…" (Psalm 85:1-2).

Yes, we know those moments well. They’re etched deeply into our souls—testimonies we cling to.

But then reality gently—or sometimes harshly—reminds us that we live in an imperfect world and have many, many unfinished stories.

The healing comes, yet scars and maybe even pain remains. Peace arrives briefly, yet conflicts persist. Joy is restored, yet sorrow lingers close by. And so, our prayers shift, echoing the psalmist’s plea:

"Will you not revive us again, so that your people may rejoice in you?" (Psalm 85:6).

That’s exactly the tension we live in on this side of paradise as followers of Christ. We have experienced the grace and transforming love of God in powerful ways. Christ has come, Christ has died, and Christ has risen; death has been defeated, and yet we await the fullness of this victory longing for the promised day of God.

The truth is we live in the "already and the not yet."

As the late Dr. Walter Brueggemann so eloquently puts it, "Hope is the deep religious conviction that God has not quit."

Indeed, Psalm 85 reminds us that hope is not wishful thinking, but a confident expectation grounded in God’s steadfast love and faithfulness:

"Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other" (Psalm 85:10).

Imagine that—the gentle yet firm embrace of righteousness and peace. These are not distant relatives forced together at a family reunion, but cherished companions meeting joyfully, intimately, and with profound delight. Friends, that's the future God has promised in the kingdom of God to come.

In the beautiful words of the hymn "Great is Thy Faithfulness," we’re reminded:

"Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!"

Today, if you find yourself grateful yet longing, celebrating yet yearning, rest assured that you're exactly where faith resides. It's okay to hold both gratitude and hope in your heart. Indeed, that's the holy tension of following Christ: grateful for what has already come, and passionately hopeful for what is yet to be revealed in all its glory.

Indeed, may we each continue to live boldly in that sacred tension—deeply grateful, ever hopeful—until the day righteousness and peace finally and forever embrace.