Get your hope up!
Have you ever heard this before? If not, no worries, I hadn't either until the other day. We've been walking through grief here and our hearts are hurting. In moments of pain and seasons of trial, it can be easy to lose hope. We can be discouraged and depressed, heartbroken and hopeless, afraid and anxious. Our minds drift and thoughts wonder. One minute we're emotional and the next numb.
In times like this, it would be beneficial to tell ourselves this new line, but more important than hearing these words, we need to understand them. To do so, let's think about a few questions.
What is hope? Biblically, hope is an indication of certainty and means a strong and confident expectation.
Where do we find hope? Psalm 39:7 says, "And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you." While Romans 15:13 says, "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope."
What's the result of hope? Let's look to Scripture for some answers...
"The LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love." Psalm 147:11
"Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life." Proverbs 13:12
"More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." Romans 5:3-5
"But they who hope in the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." Isaiah 40:31
"For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience." Romans 8:24-25
Friend, hope is a big part of Christianity. Because of Jesus' death and resurrection we can have complete confidence in God's promises. Scripture tells us what to expect; trials are on the list. Those moments of pain and seasons of suffering don't surprise our heavenly Father and don't compare to the pain endured by our Lord and Savior.
If life has you feeling hopeless, may these truths and promises encourage you to "Get your hope up!" It's not an easy task and one we must do again and again, but it's worthwhile. The world may tell us, "Don't get your hopes up!", but as believers we must remember who our hope is in! God will never let us down and He will fulfill all His promises. May we rest in that today.
Heavenly Father, when life is hard, tears fall and answers don't come, remind me of the hope I have in you. I pray for the one who feels alone and the other who has questions, meet them in their struggle and help them with the pain. Show them who you are and what you have done. When the storms rage and understanding fades, help us all hold onto hope. In the midst of the battle may we cling to You. Father God, you are a promise keeper, may we remember that always. We praise you and thank you for the hope you provide. Lord, be the shield around me, lift our heads, comfort our souls and heal our broken hearts. In Jesus' precious and powerful name, Amen.
Where do we find hope? Psalm 39:7 says, "And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you." While Romans 15:13 says, "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope."
What's the result of hope? Let's look to Scripture for some answers...
"The LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love." Psalm 147:11
"Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life." Proverbs 13:12
"More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." Romans 5:3-5
"But they who hope in the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." Isaiah 40:31
"For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience." Romans 8:24-25
Friend, hope is a big part of Christianity. Because of Jesus' death and resurrection we can have complete confidence in God's promises. Scripture tells us what to expect; trials are on the list. Those moments of pain and seasons of suffering don't surprise our heavenly Father and don't compare to the pain endured by our Lord and Savior.
If life has you feeling hopeless, may these truths and promises encourage you to "Get your hope up!" It's not an easy task and one we must do again and again, but it's worthwhile. The world may tell us, "Don't get your hopes up!", but as believers we must remember who our hope is in! God will never let us down and He will fulfill all His promises. May we rest in that today.
Heavenly Father, when life is hard, tears fall and answers don't come, remind me of the hope I have in you. I pray for the one who feels alone and the other who has questions, meet them in their struggle and help them with the pain. Show them who you are and what you have done. When the storms rage and understanding fades, help us all hold onto hope. In the midst of the battle may we cling to You. Father God, you are a promise keeper, may we remember that always. We praise you and thank you for the hope you provide. Lord, be the shield around me, lift our heads, comfort our souls and heal our broken hearts. In Jesus' precious and powerful name, Amen.
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