“Once you choose hope, anything is possible.” – Christopher Reeves

“Any thought that doesn’t inspire hope is rooted in a lie.” – Bill Johnson

“Return to your fortress, O prisoners of hope….” – Zechariah 9:12 NIV

Of all the minor prophets, Zachariah describes in the greatest detail the coming of the Messiah – roughly 480 years before the birth of Christ.  He encourages the nation of Israel by telling them their King is coming, but warns them much suffering, confusion, and difficulty will transpire beforehand.

I love how he refers to the people as “prisoners of hope” – trapped in a fortress of faith, confident that the peace and grace they were expecting was on its way!

So many things in this life can imprison us.  In fact, I doubt that any of us can say with a straight face we haven’t been held captive by something at some point in our life.

What are you shackled to right now?

Are you trapped by fear of the future or held hostage by addiction or depression?  Has constant pain and sickness confined your thinking – feeling as if you will never get better?  Has the prison of rejection and loneliness broken your spirit to the point where reconciliation and renewed relationships seem out of reach?  Have you been chained to poverty and lack – feeling as if your needs will never be realized or met?

These kinds of prisons can seem impossible to escape.  For some of us, the dungeon can seem so deep and fortified; it feels like nothing can emancipate us – giving us a fresh start and freedom once again.

If depression and lack can imprison our thoughts, why can’t faith hold our minds captive?  If addiction and rejection can incarcerate or ensnare our way of thinking, why can’t we become prisoners of hope instead?

Think about being shackled to hope – never being able to escape from expecting God’s mercy and grace to show up in your life at any moment.  Think about being held captive to unwavering faith – knowing without a doubt that God has great plans for your life.  Think about living life every day entangled and chained to thoughts of gratitude and peace in all circumstances – expecting goodness and blessings to surround you like the walls of fortified prison.

Zechariah knew about the evil, suffering and despair that was coming.  He knew how devastating and impenetrable these prisons can become.  He encouraged the nation to “Return to your fortress” – seeking shelter from God who can make us prisoners of hope again!

“The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.” – Psalm 9: 9 NIV

“I love you, O Lord, my strength.  The Lord is my rock, my fortress and deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.  He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.  I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies.” – Psalm 18: 1-3 NIV

“Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me.” – Psalm 31: 3 NIV

“God is our refuge and strength, and ever-present help in trouble.  Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way, and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea…. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress!” – Psalm 46: 1-2 and 7 NIV

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.’” – Psalm 91: 1-2 NIV

When we become trapped by fear or entangled by uncertainty – held captive to sickness or addiction, we need to return to our Fortress – a Shelter where hope is ever-present and never an impossibility!

Nothing, I MEAN NOTHING, is larger, greater, or more powerful than our God!  No sickness is incurable, no addiction too overwhelming, and no relationship too broken to fix!  When we rest in the shadow of the Almighty, when we think about and look upon His greatness, His enduring love and grace, we become prisoners of hope again!

“Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress.  He brought them out of darkness and the deepest gloom and broke away their chains.  Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men, for he breaks down the gates of bronze and cuts through the bars of iron.” – Psalm 107: 13-16 NIV

“Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them – the Lord who remains faithful forever!  He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry.  The Lord sets the prisoners free; the Lord gives sight to the blind …” – Psalm 146: 5-8 NIV

If you are currently in one of the prisons I mentioned earlier, return to your Fortress – to a God who has the power to change your life in an instance!  Don’t look at how large your prison walls may seem or how dark and deep your dungeon appears.  Look at how large your God is!  Believe all is possible! Have faith in a God who loves you and has wonderful plans for your life, become a prisoner of hope!

Lord,

Help us TODAY to break out of the prisons that hold us captive.  Shackle us to an unwavering faith in you!  Chain and bind our minds to thoughts of your Almighty power in all circumstances – no matter how bleak and overwhelming they seem.  Make us prisoners of hope – always trusting in your love for us in all we face!

“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint.” – Isaiah 40:31 NIV