Thursday, May 7, 2020

Dare to Hope - Chapter Twenty

Dare to Hope

Even if I thought there was
still hope for me

Ruth 1:12

Love hopes all things (1 Cor. 13:7); Christ in you, the hope of glory (Col. 1:27); Be joyful in hope (Romans. 12:12); Hope is an anchor of the soul (Heb. 6:19); Character produces hope (Rom. 5:4). 

Yes, hope is an anchor of your soul, but what happens when you lose hope? Have you been there? Have the circumstances of life dealt you such a blow that you perceived no way out of the confusion, loss, or hopelessness?

Has satan ensnared you, have friends deserted you, have you been hanging onto hope for so long that you have finally decided there is no longer any reason to hope things might change? Are you like Naomi in the biblical account of Ruth and Naomi when Naomi said, “Even if I thought there was still hope for me…?” (Ruth 1:12)

Are you there? At the “even if I thought…” What do you do with that? Where do you find the courage to dare to hope again?

Be encouraged! God sees you in your circumstances. You can neither flee from God nor find a place to hide where He is not with you. Psalm 139 reveals that God knows when you come and go, when you sit or rise, and what you will say before words exit your mouth. You are not alone.
There is always a reason to hope. If you do not believe that, flip the pages of your Bible over to John 3:16 and remember God loves you so much He sent His One and Only Son to give His life in exchange for your sin that you might have eternal life. You are loved!

Refuse to let circumstances or satan keep you bound by hopelessness. Believe God. Dare to hope!

Hope for Daily Living

Read 1 Corinthians 13:7, Colossians 1:27, Romans 12:12, Hebrews 6:19, and Romans 5:4, and write the words that detail the reason you can dare to hope during times of adversity.

Read Psalm 139. Write the words or passages that remind you that you can dare to hope.

Read John 3:16. Write it here as a reminder of the reason for your hope.

Father in heaven,
I give You praise and thank You for Your Son Jesus who is the reason for my hope. He is the joy, the anchor, the security and the always steadfast incomprehensible hope that no matter where I am in life or what I am experiencing I can dare to hope. Thank You, Father, for Your deep, profound, complete, unimaginable love for me. Thank You for Jesus Who comes to rescue, save, and show me the Image of the Invisible God; what You look like to me. Thank you that no matter what life throws in my direction, I can dare to hope in You. In the sweet and most precious Name Above All Names, Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen and Amen.

© Joyce Powell

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