Scripture of the Day:
Romans 15-12-13 (EXB)
“And Isaiah says, ‘A new king will come from the family of Jesse. He will ·come [rise up] to rule over the ·Gentiles [nations], and they will have hope because of [put their hope in] him.’ 13 I pray that the God who gives hope will fill you with much [ all] joy and peace while you trust [because you trust; through your faith] in him. Then your hope will overflow by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Hope Discovery of the Day:
Finding hope is only a prayer away.
Murphy’s Law is a bummer, right? Ever had those seasons where it seems like nothing can go right? The tire goes flat. Things break. Hard times at church or work – maybe even family stress. Phew! When I was a little girl, I remember being indoctrinated into ways to find hope. That’s right – the good luck charm.
A rabbit’s foot (whoever thought of that one?), a charm on my necklace, a horseshoe, a wishbone (ever done that?). And then of course there are those things we are told to avoid to not bring bad luck on us – don’t step on a crack – you’ll break your momma’s back! Walking underneath a ladder, black cats, Friday the 13th, etc.
[Tweet “Finding hope is only a prayer away.”]
Thank God for His mercy and for opening our eyes that the created things could never be our hope or prevent “luck” from happening – good or bad. Our luck never runs out when we have Jesus. Our circumstances might change, but our hope never does.
[Tweet “Our luck never runs out when we have Jesus. Our circumstances might change, but our hope never does.”]
We have hope because of Jesus. Period. I realize I put a period at the sentence and then wrote the word period – that was for emphasis. 🙂 We cannot add one iota to what Christ accomplished for us, nor can we add to the hope He has already given. But sometimes we get sidetracked when life gets hard. Disillusionment sets in as we try to manufacture hope to help us keep going. This is not hope at all. Temporary hope could never satisfy us like Christ does. God’s hope is eternal – more than just the here and now.
[Tweet “Temporary hope could never satisfy us like Christ does. “]
How we get this hope is much like we “got” our fake hope. It is in trusting. The difference is that trusting in God’s promises is not a mere wish. It is an eternal hope that will come true. Some of you might say, yes, but why has God allowed such and such into my life? How can I hope in the midst of this?
[Tweet “When we trust in God only for good things, that is not trust at all. “]
When we trust in God only for good things, that is not trust at all. Anyone can do that. Trusting God in the good and bad means we know that somehow whatever He allows into our lives He will use for our good and His glory. It might not look pretty, but if we ask God to help us see the hidden hope in our lives, He will reveal a hope greater than our earthly aspirations.
[Tweet “If we ask God to help us see the hidden hope in our lives, He will reveal a hope greater than our earthly aspirations.”]
Hope overflowing. That is what Christ promises to us. He can also help us to trust Him for that, too. What a Savior. When our lives are hidden in Christ, we no longer hope for ourselves, but for His glory and His kingdom to spread throughout this world through us. Finding hope is only a prayer away.
[Tweet “When our lives are hidden in Christ, we no longer hope for ourselves, but for His glory and His kingdom to spread throughout this world through us. “]