Recently I have
had some conversations with people who are facing some tough things in their
lives. There is much devastation all around us. There is much turmoil over the
recent elections, the state of our economy, etc. This caused me to wonder what
kind of hope these people are holding on to. How can we persevere with hope in
the midst of our trials? What can we be thankful for this Thanksgiving? Then I
thought about Hebrews 6:19, which says, “This hope we have as an anchor of
the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the
veil.” As believer’s we have hope! Let’s
look at an acronym for the word HOPE.
Hear
God’s Word- “How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not
believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And
how shall they hear without a preacher?” Romans 10:14
We need to hear
the word of God on a regular basis, not just on Sunday morning. I would
encourage you to listen to teaching tapes or CD’s during the week. We need to be feeding our spirit a daily dose
of biblical teaching. And doing so will help build up our “hope tank.” Remember in Romans 10:17 it says, “So then
faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
Obedience
– “…Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice…” 1 Samuel 15:22
Sometimes we
think that by doing nice things, or giving money to the church will pacify God.
But, it we truly want to walk in hope we will need to walk in obedience. You
see, when you walk in complete obedience to the Lord you can live with the hope
of Heaven in your heart. In recent weeks the Lord has really stirred within me
this thing of obedience and drawing near to Him, nearer than I’ve ever been.
Prayer
– “rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in
prayer.” Romans 12:12
Prayer. There is
so much that could be said about this subject. Since our time and space are
limited in this column let me simply say that spending quality time in God’s
presence is one of the best things to do when you need hope restored in your
life. Notice I said quality time, not quantity. While it would be great to
spend several hours a day in prayer that just isn’t realistic for most of us.
Let me encourage you to have a set aside time of prayer everyday for at least
ten minutes. When you begin to consistently do this you will be amazed at how
long you actually end up praying.
Expect a move of God – “Let us know, let us pursue
the knowledge of the LORD. His going forth is established as the morning; he
will come to us like the rain, like the latter and former rain to the earth.”
Hosea 6:3
One of the ways
we show that we expect a move of God is study the bible, pursue having more
knowledge of God and his ways. Notice I didn’t say know about God, but to know
him. Have a relationship with him. When we’re anticipating something good like
an upcoming vacation, or a visit from a special friend it fills us with hope of
something to look forward to.
As we close let’s
look at another scripture passage. Look at Romans 5:3-5… “3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that
tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and
character, hope. 5Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has
been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”
When we go
through rough times these verses promise us that if we stay connected to the Lord,
the trial will produce his character in us and we will once again experience
hope as God pours his love into our life.
There is no doubt
in my mind that someone out there reading this needs to be encouraged to hope
again! God has a purpose and a plan for your life and it is good. Yes, there
may be some hurdles to jump and some dark times to endure but as the scripture
says, joy comes in the morning! Hallelujah!
If you are
struggling and need a word or prayer of encouragement please feel free to drop
us a line or give us a call. Our website and contact information is listed
below
www.healinghearts4jesus.org
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