God’s intent…His plan and purpose for each one of us, is to give us hope and a eternal future with Him. Now the entire Chapter of Job is about a man suffering unspeakable losses, but we surprisingly find this encouraging word in Job 8:7, “Your beginnings will seem humble, so prosperous will your future be.” Right now you may be suffering…out of work, low on money, and depressed about what the future holds. But realize this, God is aware and understands your situation completely…and His intention for you is only good. For your future is securely in His hands, and your future is full of hope.
Tag: hopeful anticipation
I Timothy 4:9-10 ” This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance (and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, Who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe.”
Hope…there’s a big difference between what the Believer and non-Believer thinks about this word. For the non-Believer, it’s about wishing for something which may or may not occur. In contrast, to the Believer, hope is based on their faith of a living God with assurance to what He has promised in His Word. In addition, this eternal hope is found in their trust and confidence in God’s Son, Jesus Christ…their Lord and Savior.
Micah 7: 7-8 ” But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me. Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light.”
Christmas can be a very tough time for those who have lost loved ones. That empty chair at the Dinner table is a sad reminder of happier times and the flood of memories from Christmases past makes the day a little harder to bear. This week we attended a funeral of a friend and then this morning we got the call that a family member had just passed. So this verse is very special this Christmas Day, for there is always hope in Jesus…and though sorrow and loss come into all our lives and we sit in the darkness created by them…we have assurance that we can rise on the wings of hope into His blessed light.
Psalm 39: 7 ” But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in You.”
What does hope look like to you? In the simplest of terms it means a promise for the future. For without hope, life is just a bleak and discouraging journey as we wait for the end. So where can we find this hope? The Psalms are full of hope so to speak…for we’re told that hope can be found in God. (Psalm 42:5) It’s also found in God’s Word. (Psalm 130:5) Psalm 9:18 reminds us this hope from God will never perish, and that we have this precious hope as an anchor for our lives in times of trouble. (Hebrews 6:19) Do you need some hope today? May the God of hope fill you with hopeful expectation as you look to Him.
Hebrews 10:23 ” Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.”
Sometimes it’s just a matter of holding on for the day. Holding on to our courage and the hope of which we boast, (Hebrews 3:6) and remaining steady in our sense of confidence that God is truly in control of the chaos around us. And as long as we can affirm to ourselves His goodness and love…we can hold on for another day.
Jeremiah 29:11 ” For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Sometimes it’s because of serious illness or loss…sometimes it’s the result of circumstances way beyond our control…but regardless, we can find ourselves without hope. There standing before us is no bright promise for things to come…only the bleak darkness of the here and now. But God’s intent…His plan and purpose for each one of us, is to give us hope and a future with Him. For God’s Will is only about doing good…His plans are perfect, His purpose for us, only the very best. So in place of our hopelessness, God promises joy… and in place of fear, He promises peace.
Psalm 33:18 ” But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear Him, on those whose hope is in His unfailing love.”
In I Peter 3:12 the Apostle Peter quotes Psalm 34:15 when he writes, ” For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their prayers.” Peter was writing to God-fearing Christians, encouraging them to endure the persecution that was prevalent at the time. Persecution can take on many type of faces. It can be internal physical affliction that drags us down…or it can be external forces that exasperate and irritate us. Peter wanted to show that regardless of the kind of persecution…God’s loving mercy is everlasting and always near to those who love Him.
Lamentations 3: 25-26 ” The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks Him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”
Psalm 40:1 says, “I wait patently for the Lord.” Exodus 14:14 tells us, “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” In these verses in Lamentations the author, Jeremiah, wants to stress not only the need to wait patiently for the Lord in confident hopefulness…but to wait quietly, marked by little activity to attempt to fix things on our part. (In other words, not trying to “help God.”) To do both simultaneously and to do them well is a real test of our trust in Him.
Lamentations 3:24 ” I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.’ “
Statistics say that human beings spend approximately 6 months of their lives waiting in line for things…which amounts to about 3 days a year just standing around. So how can we change the complexion and emotions associated with waiting from bored, frustrated, impatience… to hopeful expectation that’s rooted in God? It could first start by raising your head up from your phone and engaging in the world around you. People complain that they’re lonely…but they refuse to become involved in casual conversation with the person standing in line next to them…preferring to bury their face in their phone instead. But consider this…maybe God placed that person specifically there to have you speak encouragement into their life. So the next time you find yourself waiting…look around…God may have someone He wants you to talk to.
I Peter 1:3 ” Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”
What does it mean to you to be born again? Maybe it’s been a long time since you even thought about it, especially if you’ve been a Believer for years. When you said “Yes” to Jesus, you underwent spiritual rebirth. What was once corruptible became incorruptible, and passed from death unto life. When we are born again, all is made new…for by God’s great mercy and the sacrificial blood of Christ, we are saved from our sins. To be born again means we are truly a new person standing before God…righteous and blameless in His sight.
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