Bible Study: If you think life is hopeless, you’re right.

Do not eat the bread of him who has an evil eye, neither desire his delicacies; for as he thinks in his heart,
so is he. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, but his heart is not with you. Proverbs 23:6-7

The heart is more deceitful than all things and desperately wicked; who can understand it? Jeremiah 17:9

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bears what is good, and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bears what is evil. For of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. Luke 6:45

A principle that emerges from the three Bible verses above is simply this: you are what you think you are.

What’s in a word? — קָוָה | hope

תִּקְוָה , tik-vaw’; from H6960; (compare H6961) literally a cord (as an attachment); figuratively, expectancy:—expectation(-ted), hope, live, thing that I long for.

Our English word hope generally speaks to “wishful thinking” — “I hope it doesn’t rain and ruin our picnic.”

The Spanish word for hope, esperanza, is closer in meaning to the Hebrew word, Tikvah. In Spanish, to hope and to wait are synonymous.

Read the story of the prostitute Rahab, who protected the two Hebrew spies in Joshua 2:1-24.

Rahab was fully expecting the Hebrew people to conquer Jericho, based on the history of the Exodus from Egypt and events along the way to the Jordan River. She indicated her expectations of a successful takeover of the city by setting a red cord (Tikvah) outside her window on the will of the city.

⁸ Before the spies went to sleep, Rahab went up to them on the roof. ⁹ She said to the men, “I know that the Lord has given you the land, for dread from you has fallen upon us, and all the inhabitants of the land melt in terror before you. ¹⁰ For we heard how the Lord dried up the waters of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. ¹¹ Our hearts melted when we heard these things, and no man had any breath in him because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on earth below. Joshua 2:8-11

Verse 21 marked her hope, her Tikvah, by tying a red cord (Tikvah) to her window.

Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, Hebrew 8615 tiqvah tik-vaw’ from 6960; literally, a cord (as an attachment (Compare 6961)); figuratively, expectancy:–expectation ((-ted)), hope, live, thing that I long for.

Mental Health

Forbes Health, February 21, 2024 reports: “Millions of Americans experience symptoms of a mental health condition each year, and the number of people seeking care is trending upward. While a mental health diagnosis may impact an individual’s daily life, it can also have a ripple effect across families, communities and even economies.”

When mental health problems affect 23.1% of our population, I suggest we recognize a huge spiritual problem in America.

What is the answer to the plague of mental illness? Apart from drug-induced mental illness, the alternative is to develop a connection with the Creator, the Father of Lights, El Shaddai.

Open the gates,
    that the righteous nation may enter,
    the one who remains faithful.
You will keep him in perfect peace,
    whose mind is stayed on You,
    because he trusts in You.
Trust in the Lord forever,
    for in God the Lord we have an everlasting rock.
Isaiah 26:2-4

To be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace Romans 8:6

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will protect your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7

Finally, brothers, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, and live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you. 2 Corinthians 13:11

Rx for Peace of Mind

Learn about the Hebrew word for peace, שַׁלוָה, pronounced shalom.

There is the Biblical principle of sowing and reaping.

Here is a quick summary of the book of Job. Job was a good man, a very successful man. Satan challenged God over Job’s good success.

There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. That man was blameless and upright, fearing God and avoiding evil. Seven sons and three daughters were born to him. His possessions were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and very many servants. This man was the greatest of all the people of the East. Job 1:1-3

God permitted Satan to test Job with a series of calamities but he did not allow Satan to kill Job.

Job’s life became a huge mess. In chapter 3:1-24, he lamented all that had befallen him. Life for this good man was bleak. The key to understanding all the evil that had come into his life is found in Job 3:25. For the thing which I greatly feared has happened to me, and that which I dreaded has come to me.

“Depressive disorders are characterized by persistent feelings of sadness and worthlessness and a lack of desire to engage in formerly pleasurable activities. Depression is not a passing blue mood, which almost everyone experiences from time to time, but a complex mind-body illness that interferes with everyday functioning. It not only darkens one’s outlook, but it is also commonly marked by sleep problems and changes in energy levels and appetite. It alters the structure and function of nerve cells so that it disrupts the way the brain processes information and interprets experience.” Psychology Today: Depressive Disorders

Job’s friends unsuccessfully attempted to psychoanalyze him.

And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. Job 42:10

There is a powerful principle in the Bible, the principle of sowing and reaping.

Be not deceived. God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not give up. Galatians 6:7-9

Give, and it will be given to you: Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will men give unto you. For with the measure you use, it will be measured unto you. Luke 6:38

When you find yourself spiritually low, pray for others. Ask God to bless them, to prosper them, to give them all they need in life. Expect your prayers to be answered.

John White
Rockwall, Texas