All week I have found myself meditating on the idea of being a “prisoner of hope.” It is such an interesting juxtaposition: the word prisoner has such a negative connotation, but when combined with the word hope, it turns uplifting. For believers to be locked into hope, surrounded by and captivated by hope, what does that look like? The word prisoner is defined as “a person deprived of liberty” or “someone restrained, as if in prison.” Consider a mobile baby who is placed in a crib. The baby has been purposefully put in the bed with bars for its safety and well-being. While it does confine the baby, it also creates a freedom to stand and roll, play and sleep. There is safety and peace within the confines of that little fortress. What looks like baby jail is really an ideal place of rest. We who are helpless like infants against all the evils and dangers of this world must return to a safe place to find any kind of hope.

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Today’s verse from the Old Testament prophet Zechariah talks about returning to a fortress. The fortress is God. Zechariah’s Israelite audience would have had in mind the fortresses of their day. In Biblical times, a fortress was placed in a strategically elevated position, like up on a hill, and was fortified with strong walls, maybe even with a moat for extra protection against enemies. Sometimes, there were whole fortified cities, like Jericho. When I think of a fortress, I imagine the castles I toured in England, with stone walls so thick that they have stood firm for hundreds of years. People tucked behind those walls were safe from whatever was trying to destroy them. As Proverbs 18:10 states, "The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe." (Anyone else my age now singing “Blessed Be the Name of the Lord”? Just me?) Calling on God brings safety, like hiding in a castle tower because of who God is. His unchanging nature and holiness mean he will always keep his promises. In the face of suffering, we can’t help but hope because of all God has promised us – to be with us in all things here on Earth and ultimately that all things will be made right when Christ returns.

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In the second half of today’s verse, we see the promise of things being made right: the Israelites were told they would receive twice as much as was lost. This mirrors this week’s Isaiah passage that speaks of a “double portion” – “so you will inherit a double portion in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours” (Isa. 61:7). The Israelites had lost so much during their exile in Babylon; so much had been destroyed. I was trying to think about what a double portion would look like in our modern day lives – our apartment burned down, but now God has given us a single-family home, or I lost my job as a clerk, but now a door has opened to be hired as a manager, or maybe a relationship with a friend ended, but now I have a new group of friends who support me. What was lost was then replaced with something even greater.  

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But there are times in our lives when we don’t see the physical or relational things repaired, replaced, or multiplied. But I think that is why we need to believe in the first part of the verse even more. As “prisoners of hope” we will not be shaken by the world because we are in the fortress of God who has promised eternity with him. We can rest in the strong name of our Lord Jesus who completed the work of salvation on our behalf. The “twice as much” might just be pointing our eyes toward our inheritance in Heaven, which is far greater than anything our minds can comprehend in this life.

Won’t you meditate with me today about what it means to be a “prisoner of hope” in these tumultuous times? Or maybe a better phrase is “held captive by hope”? Like when a child is playing a wrestling game with dad and there are tickles and laughter as the strong arms of a loving parent are holding a wiggly child in fun. When life feels uncertain and scary, I want to hide behind the strong walls, rest in the loving arms, stand on the firm foundation, hold fast to the solid-rock promises that can only be fulfilled by our Heavenly Father. Our hope is in him alone because he is sovereign over all things and can ultimately set things right.

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God, we love you and pray that we can know more deeply and rest more fully in the truth that you are our fortress. We can run to you and be safe. Everlasting joy can be ours when we put our faith and trust in you. In your Son’s mighty name we pray, Amen.