Learn
from yesterday… Live for today… Hope for tomorrow!
This is
a quote I heard with no apparent author but the one word that speaks out loud
to me is hope! For some of us we have to get past our past,
choose to live today and believe there is a tomorrow we can have hope for!
Maybe our starting point is to discover the word hope and recognize hope is a
gift we can have and enjoy!
On the
way to the church, I saw these words written on a sign at a local church. It
said, "Hope Is Real." I
thought about it and (needless to say) agreed with the statement. But as I
pondered the simple little phrase, I realized that for many people hope is not
real. I believe that is one of the most important gifts we can give to another
person, the gift of hope.
You see,
someone who is hopeless and alone usually cannot help themselves out of their
situations. They have a great sense of loss and helplessness. We must come
alongside them and bring the good news of Jesus Christ and all that He has to
offer.
"The
thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that
they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." (John
10:10 KJV)
One
definition for hope is: To look forward to with confidence or expectation. We
must bring the Word of God with all its hope to someone who does not know it is
real. When we bring hope, we bring life. It is life changing to finally believe
again. It is more than just asking God for something we so badly need; we must
expect our miracle. Somewhere in the midst of asking, believing, and expecting
God to answer, we will find what we are looking for.
"I
am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of
the living." (Psalms 27:13 NIV)
I have
felt for a long time that the biggest problem we have in the world today is
there are so many people who have lost hope. There seems to be so many hurts,
problems, sicknesses, troubles, financial woes, family problems, world issues,
political concerns, etc. It seems the world has no hope.
Apart
from God, it is an awful, hopeless place. But with God's help, we can make it.
I want you to know that whatever situation you find yourself in at this moment,
there is hope. You may not be able to see or feel the hope, but it is there for
you. How do we find the hope? There is only one place where hope can be found,
and that is in Jesus Christ.
I don't
want this to be just another Devotional. I want it to bring life to you. Pray
out loud the words of hope into your life and your situations. I have hope! My
hope is in the Lord! I will be strong and wait on the Lord. I trust God with my
life and the life of my family. Speak these words every day. Hope Is Real. It
comes from God! He has placed it in your heart. Speak it out and watch what God
will do for you.
I did a
word search in the Bible for the word 'hope' and found many wonderful passages.
They were mostly in Psalms and Proverbs of course. David found himself in
situations many times and had to remind himself that hope is real. It comes
from God. Here are a few of David's prayers to God:
"But
now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you." (Psalms 39:7 NIV)
"Why
are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God." (Psalms 42:11 NIV)
"
Show
me the path where I should walk, O LORD; point out the right road for me to
follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me.
All day long I put my hope in you." (Psalms 25:4-5 NLT)
"No
one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame." (Psalms 25:3 NIV)
"But
the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his
unfailing love." (Psalms 33:18 NIV)
"Remember
your promise to me, for it is my only hope." (Psalms 119:49 NLT)
Trust
God. He wants you to trust Him. You need to agree with God about your
situation. What does God say about who you are and what His will is for your
life? Don't go by your feelings. Instead we should remind ourselves that God
only has plans for us that are good. Jeremiah helps us remember what God has to
say about us. "For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD.
"They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a
hope." (Jeremiah 29:11 NLT)
Blessings,
