Hope opens the door to opportunities we might not otherwise see. While I set out to hope – to believe for what I cannot see in the present – admittedly there have been times when giving up seemed like a better choice. Faith carries me through those rough patches. Experience tells the story and confirms that everything is going to be alright. I pray for it, wait for it and believe it.
God’s Word affirms it, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” – Romans 8:28 NKJV
It does not say that it will turn out the way we envisioned it. But it will turn out for God’s best for us.
Help My Unbelief
This 4th of July weekend was a time to celebrate the birth of our nation but for me, it was also a time of sadness as I reflected on the unrest in our country. I took that road that leads to hopelessness – that place where you start to believe that it can only get worse. But then I heard the fireworks – the sound of hope. I imagined God’s voice saying, “Oh you of little faith, what part of I AM don’t you understand?”
“Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God” – Corrie Ten Boom
Hope Shows Up
How does hope show up for you? Do you recognize it right away or does it catch you off guard?
This morning I sensed that I was to write about hope today. How do I make that happen Lord? I sincerely wasn’t feeling it. The answers showed up in a number of ways.
- First, our Pastor’s passionate Sunday message referred to our nation’s history as imperfect and flawed but then God (my paraphrase).
- After that I surfed YouTube in search of more inspiration (we stayed home today) and almost immediately found a message from Lisa Harper – Hope is in our DNA. What? (another excellent message)
- My third example appeared during my search for the image for this blog post. And then I found it – in bright lights – a sign that read “Everything is going to be alright.” While yes, those words represent hope, they also are a running joke between my husband and me. That message was personal.
Sometimes hope shows up as a burst of unexplained joy. One minute all looks impossible and then suddenly you wonder why you ever doubted. Has that ever happened to you? How do you explain it? Logic tells you that your circumstances have not changed, but joy says, God’s got this! I start singing the chorus to Chris Tomlin’s, Joy to The World (Unspeakable Joy):
“Joy, unspeakable joy
Rises in my soul, never lets me go”
So Many Examples
Hope has been a constant companion on my faith journey. My mind is rifling through so many examples of how hope changes everything – puts a smile on my heart. Helen Keller says it so well, “Hope sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible.”
Again, I ask: How does hope show up for you? Do you recognize it right away or does it catch you off guard?
For anyone wrestling with hopelessness, my prayer for you:
“Now may God, the inspiration and fountain of hope, fill you to overflowing with uncontainable joy and perfect peace as you trust in him. And may the power of the Holy Spirit continually surround your life with his super-abundance until you radiate with hope!” –Romans 15:13 TPT
Helping You Be You
Photo by Paolo Bendandi
Maggie Sabatier-Smith
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