Hope is one of the greatest assets in a Believer's life. Not the
"hope for a better day" type hope but HOPE that transforms our everyday
lives, and those around us.
Biblical hope is the EXPECTANCY of
GOOD, the delightful anticipation of GOOD. Often when the word "hope" is
used it's used in the sense of "wishing" for good or for "the best"
scenario to play out. But with God, HOPE is SECURE; it's established and
cannot be shaken.
The word "expectancy" speaks volumes when
referring to Hope. When one is expecting a child there is great joy and
exciting unknowns bubbling up all over the place. The pregnancy of this
NEW life invades every aspect of one's life- physical, emotional, mental
and spiritual. This expectancy is one of great anticipation for the
new, and as time goes on that life is formed in the womb of the mother
through the nutrients in her own body.
What she feeds herself
during her pregnancy is key. If she feeds herself with harmful
substances the baby in her womb will be affected by her choices. If she
chooses to feed herself with good foods, that benefit one's body, her
baby will thrive and grow in a much healthier manner.
This is much
like the concept of sowing and reaping. What we sow into our lives we
will reap the benefits of-good and bad. HOPE is something we need to
feed. The expectancy of GOOD cannot go unattended or it will be stolen
by life's circumstances, especially in this present hour. We must be
intentional in feeding HOPE.
Hope is a powerful force that can
transform lives. Hope helps us press on in the midst of the darkest
times. Hope chooses Truth and Life in the midst of depression and
barrenness. The greatest Hope we have is Jesus.
When we allow our
Hope to be firmly established in Him, when we allow Hope to grow inside
the womb of expectancy, we will never, ever, ever be disappointed. How
can we Hope in the midst of the darkness? It's all about what we choose
to feed ourselves. What we feed will be established in our hearts and
lives. Are we feeding Hope or are we feeding despair and hopeLESSNESS?
How
do we feed Hope? Through the Word {BREAD} of LIFE {John 6:35} and by
renewing our minds through the Word {Romans 12:2}. If we can retrain our
minds to BELIEVE & EXPECT the BEST everything would change- how we
live, talk and walk in relationship with others.
Why does this
matter? Because we've lived in defeat long enough, and as Believers in
Jesus Christ it's time for us to RISE up & BE the SOLUTION to the
problems around us. We need HOPE to do this. We need to give away the
Hope, Life & Love of Jesus in every circumstance.
How? Well,
we need to know how DEEP our Heavenly Father's LOVE is for US, first. We
need to know that we're HIS children and that He's longing for
relationship with us. We need to LIVE in that place of SECURITY and JOY
with Him. But it all starts with laying down the lies we've believed for
a long time. The lie that we're not "good enough", the lie that "God is
vengeful and mean", the lie that "God is distant", and on and on. Once
we renew our minds with the Truth of His Word, we won't be able to stop
giving away this HOPE.
Hope is a POWERFUL FORCE and the world
around us is hungry for it. Will you give away the Hope you have? Will
you be one who draws Heaven to earth {Matthew 6:10}? Heaven can come to
earth in every circumstance. Joy, life, hope and peace can be our
song... if we choose it.Rainbow
We are NOT the victims, we are
VICTORIOUS because of all that He is and all that we are in Him. "We are
NOT those who shrink back & are destroyed but those who BELIEVE
& are saved." Hebrews 10:39.
Sometimes we have to fight for
Hope; we have to fight to believe. That's OK, keep fighting, keep
standing on the Word of God {the Bible}, and I guarantee that as you
build muscles in the struggle, and as you press in and continue to
STAND, you WILL see breakthrough in a greater way than ever before.
It's
worth the fight. We all fight hopelessness from time to time, but this
is not the hour to give in, this is the hour to BELIEVE, this is the
hour to RISE UP & CHOOSE Hope. People around us are desperate for
it.
Hope is a powerful force. Choose it today. Allow the
expectancy of GOOD to form inside of you and you WILL see things in a
NEW way-joy and peace will begin to overtake your life and those around
you WILL be impacted by the very Kingdom of Heaven.
"May the God
of HOPE fill you with all JOY & PEACE as you TRUST IN HIM, so that
you may OVERFLOW with the HOPE that comes by the POWER of the HOLY
SPIRIT." Romans 15:13
May that be our ANTHEM. Overflowing with HOPE everywhere we go.
Choose HOPE and watch the world around you be transformed.
Here are some great verses to renew our minds with today...
1 John 4:8
1 John 4:18
1 Corinthians 13:1-13 {insert "Jesus" into the places that say "LOVE"}
Genesis 1:27
Psalm 139
2 Corinthians 5:17
Ephesians 1:5
1 Peter 2:9
Romans 8:17
Ephesians 2:5-6
Hebrew 10:39
John 10:27
Romans 8:9-11
Ephesians 1:18-23
2 Corinthians 5:20
Mark 16:15-18
James 5:16
John 14:12
Ephesians 1:3
Luke 17:21
Ephesians 2:10
John 15:1-17