Lo, it came to pass that the day of the Gospel Meeting grew near (October 17-21), and the local elders called the church together.  “What can we do?” said the elders.  “We must write our sister congregations and proclaim this event.”  And one said, “Why don’t we print advertisements and mail them to interested people?”  “That is well,” said the elders.  “This we will do.”  “Can we not announce it on the radio and television so that all may hear and come?”  “All of this we can do,” they all said.  “All of these things are good” said the elders.  “Yet there is one way we have overlooked.  Let us all do personal work and invite our friends and family and tell them of our meeting, and above all, let us not fail to attend every service ourselves.”  And they all agreed.
And it came to pass that on the first night of the meeting, it came to the mind of all the members.  And one said, “The beginning of the meeting is at hand, but lo, I find the pull of my favorite TV show and the lure of “Monday Night Football” in me, and I must needs be excused.”  And another said, “It is good that I go to the meeting this week, but I must work for a living and I need my rest at night.  Behold I give the Lord one hour a week, is not this enough?”  Still another thought, “It is a shame that the meeting was scheduled while baseball season is ending and football is in full swing.  It looks like they could be more careful about how they plan a gospel meeting.  I would go but I have got to go and yell for my child’s team to win; they are in the tournament, you know.”
And thus the meeting began.  There were only “the faithful few” who sacrificed the TV and other things and attended.  The visiting preacher (Dan Kessinger) faithfully proclaimed the Gospel of Jesus each night, but when he saw the empty pews some of his zeal left him, and there was no response to the preaching.  And a few who were invited came and beheld the empty pews and thought within themselves, “How uninterested these people must be,” and they never came back.
And with a heavy heart the treasurer paid the visiting preacher and he went on his way discouraged, and thus the meeting closed.  And it came to pass at the next men’s meeting, the brother who had to rest at night said, “Behold the failure of our last meeting.  Lo, the day of the Gospel meeting is past!”  Another said, “It’s surely not as effective as it once was.”  And when the Lord cometh, what shall He do with those unfaithful servants?

  A human being who has no hope has nothing.  Paul taught that Christians have one hope (Ephesians 4:4-6).  That hope is heaven and it is rooted in the resurrection (1 Peter 1:3-9).  If that hope is false, or if we lose sight of it, we are the most miserable of all people (1 Corinthians 15:1-58).
The psalm that comes before us this week is a poem of hope.  He trusts in Jehovah because doing so is right and necessary if life is to have any real meaning.  He hopes in Him because He will do all of these things for those who will be faithful to Him:

 
1. He will deliver (31:1,2).
2. He will protect (31:3-5).
3. He will stabilize (31:6-8).
4. He will be merciful (31:9-13).
5. He will brighten (31:14-18).
6. He will be good (31:19,20).
7. He will be kind (31:21,22).

  So, it will not be a surprise to hear David conclude in the last two verses that “He deserves our love.”
Let us now study the seven reasons that the songwriter of Israel gives for his hope—and let us claim them for our own by loving Him Who is so trustworthy.

  And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure (1 John 3:3).

    — Skip Andrews