Notes on Hope Devotional

A Holding Cell of Hope

One of the many dimensions of hope is seen throughout the Old Testament when the prophets were calling Israel to return to the Lord. Zechariah was given night visions where God was calling his people to return to Him while also telling of the coming Messiah. Today’s verse is in that context.

Return to your fortress, you prisoners of hope; even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you. Zechariah 9:12 (NIV) 

When I hear the word “prison,” I have images of the cells at Alcatraz Island, the historical prison near San Francisco. While taking a tour many years ago, I recall seeing the dungeon-like spaces of isolation, the bars and locks on the cell doors, and the cement walls. It was a place of utter hopelessness. Definitely not a place to dwell.

So, what’s this verse saying about “you prisoners of hope”?

Could it be true that we can be held captive by hope when we are suffering? Is there a place where we are confined and detained in the midst of a battle? I can’t help but believe there’s a holding cell where captivity is seen as the sacred place where hope forms and develops in us. Not as a punishment, but as a provision; not to let us out, but to let something in; hope.

Perhaps, we are invited to “serve our time” here on earth with a hope that sustains us while waiting for what is to come. 

C.S. Lewis said, “Hope...a continual looking forward to the eternal world is not a form of escapism or wishful thinking, but one of the things a Christian is meant to do.”  

Could it be, as fellow inmates, we are called to be prisoners of hope waiting for our release? Together, may we relish in hope in this present life and into eternal life.

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for being the Living Hope that sustains us, strengthens us, and supplies what we need. May we, like prisoners, be attuned to the Holy Spirit, who guards us and gently guides us, knowing we are loved and never alone. In Jesus Name, Amen.