“Hope In The LORD!”

“Hope In The LORD!”(Is.40:27-31).
Today is Presbytery Meeting for all the presbyteries of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon (PCC). A presbytery meeting is the Synod of a presbytery. Delegates of a presbytery meeting include selected Elders from all congregations in the presbytery, all the pastors working within the presbytery, representatives of PCC schools, medical institutions, and Church departments that are within the presbytery. The movements and choirs are represented by their presbytery presidents.
This annual meeting is meant to evaluate the work of each of the above represented. The meeting discusses the success and failures of each unit. The presbytery meeting discusses reports already presented. The meeting finds out how far each unit fared spiritually, financially, and numerically.
Praise and encouragement are given where success is found. Where shortfalls are found, discussions engage on why, making proposals on how to improve.
In a nutshell, a presbytery meeting evaluates the work and strategise on how to improve performance and achieve better results.
Being the chaplain to the meeting of my presbytery, I’ve decided to remain with the selected text of the day instead of selecting my preference.
I am going to use SWOT analysis to analyse the text as a yardstick so that the meeting should focus on SWOT to engage the meeting.
In the year under review, what has been seen as the strength that we can be satisfied with? Surely, the reports show areas of weaknesses. What are those weaknesses? Which are the opportunities that we missed or ignored? What are the threats that were stumbling blocks to progress?
Way forward: How do we strategise to eliminate threats or navigate around those that cannot be eliminated? Better still, can we we see opportunities within the threats and weaknesses? Can we seize those opportunities and the weaknesses and transform them to become future strengths?
Today’s pericope offers a contrast between human limitations and divine strength. The eternal God is “the creator, he is untiring, and he possesses limitless power.
God’s wisdom is beyond human understanding. He understands situations more than us humans.
Divine empowerment is of the LORD. When we are weary, he gives us power, and when we are weak, he increases our strength.
This text is an assurance within a context of despair and lost hope in exile. This threat, which is always present even in our times, leads us to often wonder whether God really cares and that he has disregarded our cause! But no! There is an opportunity for spiritual growth. And where there is spiritual growth, it is evident in financial and numerical growth.
Spiritual growth depends on the spiritual programmes we design, which uplifts our people and gives them hope. “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.”
Dear presbyters, maybe our biggest weakness and even the worst threat is when we depend on our own abilities while ignoring the LORD! Then know this: The LORD is our strength, our wisdom, and our salvation!
He raised Christ from the dead so that our hope can be restored by believing in him as the Son of God and the Messiah.
Prayer: Dear LORD, help us to build our strength by our trust is your guidance. Amen!
Have a blessed weekend and a fruitful presbytery meeting! Peace be with you!
Rev Babila Fochang.
18/04/2026.