What do you hope for that has yet to happen? I assume that we all hope for something to happen, something to change, or something to get better in our lives. We use the word ‘hope’ all the time…. I hope you take the job. I hope your meeting goes well. I hope you like it. I hope I win the lottery.
But any one of us who has starred down in the face of hope, waiting for something to change, knows that hope is so much more. To have hope is to want an outcome in your life that makes things better in some way. It could mean changing a challenging situation into something better or it could mean hoping for something good to happen in the future.
For you today, what do you hope for? Maybe it’s for a physical challenge to get better. Perhaps, it’s for you to find a spouse. Maybe, you hope to pay off your debt. Of course, this time of year, many are just hoping to graduate or finish school!
The uncomfortable part of hope is that that is unseen. Yet, although we can’t see hope, we can be full of hope. I can have hope because I am confident in the God of hope. I don’t trust in “hope” itself; I trust in the God of hope. Romans 15:13 says “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)
The God of hope wants to give you hope. How do we gain hope? By being able to trust God even when your circumstance feels oh, so very painful. Think, for a moment about Romans 15:13. As we trust in God for ____________________ (that thing we hope for) trust produces hope, whereby we receive joy and peace, by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives us the power to keep on hoping and trusting God in our situation.
No matter what circumstance you are going through today, there is always hope in God and His promises. God is always faithful and true to his nature.
So, how do we endure when we hope and hope and do not see an answer? We keep trusting God. We realize that hope, joy, and peace are always available to those who keep on trusting, day after day, year after year.
Hope isn’t about being lucky or dreaming, it is about believing there is a God who is Who He says He is. He will always be faithful. He is always trustworthy.
I have found that understanding hope came as I understood the power and importance of prayer. Prayer became for me, the vehicle in which I shared with God the longings of my heart, waited, and trusted in Him to meet my need. The God of hope longs to be in a relationship with you. He longs for you to come to Him with those things you hope for. He is, after all, the God of all hope.
For you today, what do you hope for? Maybe it’s for a physical challenge to get better. Perhaps, it’s for you to find a spouse. Maybe, you hope to pay off your debt. Of course, this time of year, many are just hoping to graduate or finish school!
The uncomfortable part of hope is that that is unseen. Yet, although we can’t see hope, we can be full of hope. I can have hope because I am confident in the God of hope. I don’t trust in “hope” itself; I trust in the God of hope. Romans 15:13 says “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)
The God of hope wants to give you hope. How do we gain hope? By being able to trust God even when your circumstance feels oh, so very painful. Think, for a moment about Romans 15:13. As we trust in God for ____________________ (that thing we hope for) trust produces hope, whereby we receive joy and peace, by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives us the power to keep on hoping and trusting God in our situation.
No matter what circumstance you are going through today, there is always hope in God and His promises. God is always faithful and true to his nature.
So, how do we endure when we hope and hope and do not see an answer? We keep trusting God. We realize that hope, joy, and peace are always available to those who keep on trusting, day after day, year after year.
Hope isn’t about being lucky or dreaming, it is about believing there is a God who is Who He says He is. He will always be faithful. He is always trustworthy.
I have found that understanding hope came as I understood the power and importance of prayer. Prayer became for me, the vehicle in which I shared with God the longings of my heart, waited, and trusted in Him to meet my need. The God of hope longs to be in a relationship with you. He longs for you to come to Him with those things you hope for. He is, after all, the God of all hope.
Take a listen, our Living Hope: https://www.youtube.com/
Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain of the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.
Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain of the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.
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