“But 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.” — Isaiah 40:31
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Archery is one of those sports that, typically, most people only get to watch every four years during the Olympics. Rarely do we see competitions of this sort at any other point. Yet, the Bible is filled with references to archery because this used to be the main way of doing war, hunting food and making sport.
To know archery is to understand a whole part of history, and the Scriptures, that is mostly lost on us today. For instance, arrows can refer to enemies that wish one harm (Psalm 11:2, Psalm 64:3), God’s justice or conviction (Psalm 45:5, Psalm 76:3, Psalm 38:2), or they can also represent strength and honor, as in one’s children (Psalm 127:4). Arrows are highly symbolic!
During the Paris Olympics and Paralympics, I watched quite a bit of archery. There was something so fascinating about seeing the strategy of the archers — how they worked the scoring to their advantage, and how they accounted for weather elements like wind and rain that would affect their performance. While I was watching one of the matches, one of the commentators made a profound statement in regard to a competitor who found themselves significantly down in the match. He said, “While there are still arrows, there is hope.” I found myself really leaning into that observation when it comes to how we approach life.
Hope is a powerful thing. Without it, there is nothing to keep us going in life, especially when times get tough. It’s something that’s way bigger than mere wishful thinking. So often, we like to use the word “hope” in regard to things we want or wish for. But real, true hope is a deeper force that gives us strength and motivation in the face of impossibilities and great odds. It is that inner assurance, trust or faith that allows us to see the bigger picture even when things are horribly hard, believing that there is more than meets the eye.
The hope the Bible talks about — the hope that Jesus Himself gives — is a hope sustained on His past faithfulness. Because of past proof that God is active and working in all situations, we can find peace in the greatest adversity and not quit when the going gets tough since we know there is always a chance things can change and God can turn it around. It is this kind of hope that allows us to “glory in our sufferings” (Romans 5:3-4), to know that “in all things God works for the good of those who love Him” (Romans 8:28), to “not become weary in doing good” (Galatians 6:9), to “not lose heart” and “fix our eyes on what is unseen” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).
You may feel like you’re running out of arrows. It may seem like you’re not hitting the prime scoring marks on the target … or even hitting the target at all. Things may be really, really hard and the victory may look impossible. But just remember that God’s called you to this challenge, and He’s right here with you in it. This is no time for quitting and throwing a pity party.
“While there are still arrows to shoot, there is hope.” The match is not over. You still have work to do.
— Katherine Singer
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