“Hope thou in God.” – Psalms 42:11

However gloomy the day, however strange the trials, however distressing the visitation, hope thou in God. He is with you, He is your God, He hath promised to befriend you, He is the faithful God.

He will turn darkness into light, make crooked things straight, and make all grace abound towards you, so that you, having all sufficiency, may abound to every good work. The changes that affect you, cannot affect Him. You cannot rely too simply upon Him, or expect too much from Him. If all, within and without, seem to conspire to distress you, still say, “I will hope in God.”

Expect Him to be to you all a gracious and powerful God can be: expect Him to do all a loving Father and infinite God can do.
Hope for light in darkness, for relief in distress, for strength in weakness, for joy in sorrow, for deliverance when sinking beneath the wave, and for life in death. Hope for all you need, and for all God has promised. Hope thou in God, and in God alone. Hope because God has spoken, because He is true and faithful, and you cannot hope in vain. The foundation of your hope is laid in the blood of Jesus and the oath of God.–James Smith

Hope in the Lord, whose mighty hand
Can all thy woes remove;
For thou shalt yet before Him stand,
And sing restoring love.

“ Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.“ Psalm 119:18

Charles Spurgeon said, “Let me tell you a little secret: whenever you cannot understand a text, open your Bible, bend your knee, and pray over that text; and if it does not split into atoms and open itself, then try again. If prayer does not explain it, then it is one of those things that God did not intend you to know, and you may be content to be ignorant of it.

Prayer is the key that opens the cabinets of mystery. Prayer and faith are sacred picklocks that can open secrets, and obtain great treasures! There is no college for holy education like that of the blessed Spirit, for He is an ever-present tutor, to whom we have only to bend the knee, and He is at our side–the great expositor of truth!

You will frequently find fresh streams of thought leaping up from the passage before you, as if the rock had been struck by Moses’ rod! New veins of precious ore will be revealed to your astonished gaze as you quarry God’s Word and use diligently the hammer of prayer!”

“ Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come , he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear , that shall he speak : and he will shew you things to come .” John 16:13

“Every text prayed over opens a mine of ‘unsearchable riches,’ with a light from above, more clear and full than the most intelligent exposition.” (Charles Bridges)

“A humble and prayerful spirit will find a thousand things in the Bible–which the proud, self-conceited student will utterly fail to discern.” (J.C. Ryle)

“There should be a definite asking Him to graciously anoint our eyes–not only that we may be enabled to behold wondrous things in His law, but also that He will make us of quick discernment to perceive how the passage before us applies to ourselves–what are the particular lessons we need to learn from it. The more we cultivate this habit, the more likely that God will be pleased to open His Word unto us.” (Arthur Pink)