We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our hope and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in you. NIV
While the word, “hope,” appears three times in these two verses, I can only find the Hebrew words for two of the references. The first one, “wait in hope,” is translated “to long for,” and the last one, “put our hope in you,” means “to expect, to wait.”
According to my Hebrew dictionary, “shield,” is not only the small, oiled leather shield used for defense, but also, “by extension: ruler, a leader who protects.”
I just love the way David puts these thoughts together. We long for God, our protector. We wait for Him, expecting that He will give us rest in His unfailing love.
In general, I only expect things that I am absolutely certain will happen. I once rented a house with a cracked foundation. Every time it rained, I expected that there would be a puddle between the bottom of the basement stairs and laundry room. Without fail, when it rained, the puddle was there. It was very reliable.
Few things in life can be relied upon, but the hope that we have in Christ is completely reliable. We are justified to put our expectations in Him and to rejoice in the trust that we have for Him.
When I looked at these verses in The Message, I was delighted with its translation of this passage. “We’re depending on God; he’s everything we need. What’s more, our hearts brim with joy since we’ve taken for our own his holy name. Love us, God, with all you’ve got — that’s what we’re depending on.” MSG
365 Days of Peace 