I am starting to sound like a broken record, I know, but New Morning Mercies, by Paul David Tripp, gives me much to ponder throughout the day since I added reading from this book full of biblical nuggets, to my time spent with God in the morning. This day, hope is what grabbed my attention.
We all need hope.
In this crazy world, we need hope. In the year of Covid, riots, and a jacked-up presidential election, many have been left with feelings of despair and so much pain.
There are people I know who are walking through some pretty intense situations in their close relationships. They have no hope of anything ever changing on it’s own. In fact, they’ve tried everything they know to do, and nothing has made a lasting impact that brings the desired and needed change that has to take place in order to continue in the relationship. Can you relate?
Just so we’re clear about what hope is, here is the definition (according to my internet search). Hope is: 1. a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen, a person or thing that may help or save someone, grounds for believing that something good may happen.
And just so we’re a little more clear, hope is Jesus personified. I mean let’s be real, there is no real hope unless your hope is in Jesus. Everything else is flawed. It’s conditional. It’s temporary at best. When you find yourself in a dire situation like having a child who is deathly ill, a marriage that has been trashed, a lost job and means of support or any other monumental life event that can happen faster than a blink of an eye, you need a dependable hope.
Jesus came to give you hope for a better life than the one you have now. He came to give you a better life than the one you are living. He came to give His life so you can have hope outside and beyond what we have and see in this life.
Hope is always about the future, whatever that looks like in your life. Tomorrow, in five minutes, or next year.
Hope is Jesus.
Proverbs 13:12 says Hope deferred makes a heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life (ESV).
Hope isn’t a wish, or a longing. Hope is real. Hope is a person. Hope is Jesus.
Where do you put your hope?
I know it’s hard to have hope when life gets broke. Don’t do it alone. I would love to connect with you and help you figure your out your own unique next steps.
Social Media can be a tough place. You are forced to make “impression” in a very short amount of time. People are quick to judge what you post, but also show little compassion when others are not “perfect”.
What I have come to realize is that social media is not the true reflection of your life. It is just a small piece that you share.