Like a Balloon

“Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my hope.” (Ps 119:116 AV)

The word ‘ashamed’ here means disappointed.  This begs the question.  How can we be ashamed of something we did not write?  How can we be “put to shame before others” over something of which we are not the originator?  The shame comes from the first part of the verse.  Our writer needs to be encouraged and motivated by the word of God.  Especially where it applies to the observation of others.  He prays that the LORD would use His word and that he would believe His word so that those who see him may believe in the trustworthiness of the written word of God.  David wants to live in the power of the word but he knows words alone will not do it.  He needs the LORD to use His word within him so that he does not fall into discouragement or temptation.  David is praying not only for the word of God but the effectual working of the word of God by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Two words jump out at me right away.  ‘Uphold’ and ‘hope’.  The two go hand in hand.  This may be an unusual way of thinking about this, but balloons come to mind.  All types of balloons.  Balloons are amazing.  No one ever had a bad thought regarding balloons.  One of our favorite games at church is team volleyball with balloons.  It didn’t matter how young or old those playing happened to be.  Throw a few balloons in the air, and people cannot help but smile.  Why?  For my birthday, my wife got helium-filled balloons.  She got the foil kind.  I put them in front of the picture window and they would sway with the temperature of the air.  As they did so, they would reflect sunshine all throughout our first floor.  Balloons are one thing that can lift the spirits.   Perhaps that is why people love them so much.  It reminds us to think above our present situation.  As they ascend, we are not saddened.  We are uplifted.  Even if we happened to lose one to the atmosphere, we watch as it floats away knowing it will land somewhere, and probably encourage whoever finds it.  Balloons are a metaphor for hope.  They rise above what keeps everything else down.  They cannot be bound.  They speak of tomorrow for we know not where it will be.  These simple little articles are a source of relief.  They are a wonder.

Just like latex needs gas to rise above and do what it was designed to do, the word of God needs the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.  Most of all, a balloon needs to be placed in a situation where it will do what it was intended to do.  Grocery stores have many balloons.  But they sit idle and useless until bought and taken home.  For those who are downtrodden or overwhelmed with life’s troubles, the answer is the word of God led by the Holy Spirit.  Upholding and hope do not come on their own.  The word of God must be coupled with faith.  Too many have debates with the Holy Spirit as He is trying to meet our soul’s needs through the word of God.  We debate with Him.  We force Him to justify the hope that lies within.  We will not believe it until the trouble is over.  By then, the effectiveness of the word of God is wasted.  If the LORD is to uphold us and sustain the hope that He gives, we must yield to the ministry of the Holy Spirit through His word.  In other words, we need to recognize the balloon in the room, pick it up, and keep it in the air.  If our hope is lost, it is not because God failed to meet it.  It is because we neglected to accept and rely upon it.  Hope is there.  We simply need to engage.