Hope in God - Part 2

 

   

We believe in God, not because we are naive, but because of His many fulfilled Biblical prophecies, as well as God's provision every day in our own life and for all of His Saints (Romans 8:24-25).

We do not have to hope only in what we already have; but we can eagerly wait in hope in the unseen promises of God. Our hope of living in the presence of God now and in eternity is the sure and firm anchor of our soul (Hebrews 6:19-20).

Believers in our Lord Jesus Christ have peace with God and grace in which we stand as we rejoice in God's glory (Romans 5:1-3, 12:12). Christ who dwells within every Believer by His Holy Spirit, helps us to hope in God's glory (Colossians 1:27-28).

Our hope in God assures us of a resurrection of the dead, both of Believers to Heaven and unbelievers, who condemn themselves to hell (John 3:16-18; Acts 24:15).

Believers have this hope, because by faith we turned away from our former sinful lifestyle. We look forward to Christ's glorious appearance on the day, which God already decided (Titus 2:13-14; Matthew 24:36).

Some people have known God's presence in their life from a young age. They learned to trust Him with a child-like faith. (Psalm 71:5-6). No matter when we come to faith in Christ, however, we realize that He has known us since conception (Psalm 139:13).

The Lord is our provision for all of our needs; therefore, we can hope in His presence in our life (Lamentations 3:24). Our hope is never disappointed, because of His love in our hearts (Romans 5:5).

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, we pray that You and our Father God, who loves us and gives us an eternal consolation, will establish us according to Your will, in all we say and do. Comfort our hearts with Your hope and abundant grace (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17). 

You give us a far better hope than anything this world can offer to us, because Christ perfects us and makes us acceptable to You, so that we can draw near to You every moment of every day (Hebrews 7:19). We completely rest our hope in Your mercy and grace that is revealed to us through Christ in us (1 Peter 1:13-14)

Thought for the Day:

May the God of hope completely fill you with all of the joy and peace, which believing in Him gives to us, so that you can abound in even more hope by the power of His Spirit. - Romans 15:13

The Anchor for our Soul

 

Eternal life is God’s promise (1 John 2:25), which enables us to know God intimately (John 17:3). This takes place both now and in eternity. It requires no self-effort, just total rest in His presence (Hebrews 4:10). God’s promises also provide pardon for sin, support in trials, the glorious resurrection, and eventually, immortality. God’s promises encourage us to cleanse our self of every evil desire (2 Corinthians 7:1).

When we choose not to live in God’s Will during each moment of our day, we lose the power of Christ in us. It is only through total surrender to His will that we accomplish all that He prepared for us to do (Ephesians 2:10). God shrouds us with His divine nature, which is the fruit of His Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, meekness, self-control and faith (Galatians 5:22-23).

As we mature, we increase in the measure of the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4:13). God disciplines us to enable us to share in His holiness (Hebrews 12:10). This empowers us to put on our new self, which is created to be like God in both righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:24). Our humanity is dead and we are hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3). As we walk in God’s promises, we receive His divine nature (2 Peter 1:4).

Confidently, we cling to God’s promises in tribulation. They are the anchor of our soul and the foundation for our hope. God keeps all of His promises (2 Corinthians 1:20). The nation of Israel wandered from God; yet, God is faithful and is keeping His promises to them (Zechariah 13:8-9; Romans 11:25-26). God guarantees His Body freedom from the law, sin and death. He freely provides us with eternal life in Jesus Christ (John 3:16).

We partake in the divine nature of God through Christ who dwells in our spirit. When we indulge in fleshly pursuits, the divine nature of God is grieved. However, as authentic Born Again Believers, we cannot continue to live in sin (1 John 3:9). God’s Spirit gradually makes all things new (2 Corinthians 5:17), and we bear His image through continual transformation (2 Corinthians 3:18).

Prayer:

Father God, Your Holy Spirit teaches us to deny unholy conduct and lust, at the same time He encourages us to live serious, blameless and holy lives (Titus 2:12). As we do, we inwardly partake of Your divine nature; which causes us to refrain from outwardly partaking in sin and degradation. Our body houses Your (1 Corinthians 6:15). We are members of Christ’s body, flesh and bones (Ephesians 5:30; John 14: 16-17, 17:20-23). You make Your home in those who love and obey You (John 14:23).

Thought for the Day:

We are now the sons of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be, but when we see Him return in the clouds, we will be exactly like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. - 1 John 3:2

 

The God of Hope

Read: Proverbs 3: 5-6

“We wait in hope for the Lord; He is our help and our shield.” – Psalm 33:20

There is so much suffering in the world. From birth to death, life inflicts some of us with atrocities that are hard to fathom. This terrifying devastation is often more than we can bear. In spite of what we suffer, the God of Hope has a purpose for our life.

 

 

When our heart is sad, we can look to God for deliverance. We can praise Him again and again, because He is our God and Savior (Psalm 42:11). God collects every single tear that we ever shed in His bottle and records them all in His book (Psalm 56:8). Just imagine the size of that bottle and scroll! He cares about us so much that He sent His son to die in our place and to pay the penalty of our sins.

Life on this earth is merely temporal. After our last breath on earth, our next breath will be in eternity. Whether we go to Heaven or hell, we will spend eternity there. Remembering that Heaven is our eternal home gives Believers a new perspective on the heart-break, stress, confusion, loneliness, irritations and desolation we experience in this secular world. We face the consequences of discrimination, environmental disasters, false accusations, violence, lies, hatred, war, unfaithfulness and every immoral decision. However, God lives within us through every negative experience, and will help us to endure to the end with a song in our heart and victory in our walk (Matthew 24:12-13; Psalm 108:1; 1 Corinthians 15:57).

God also cares about every negative emotion, which infects our soul. He desires to replace it with the fruit of His Spirit. At times we are so wounded that we cannot hold up our head or take one step. Our lips have not smiled in years. However, the goodness of God is just waiting to fill our hearts and sustain us with His love. There is no need to turn away from God, entertain bitterness in our soul or plan a strategy of revenge against a sinful world that often overwhelms us (Proverbs 13:12). Through each trial, God gives us hope that provides a trustworthy anchor for our soul (Hebrews 6:18-20).

We come out of the circumstance stronger and more secure in God’s love. The Lord is our Helper, and there is no need for fear (Hebrews 13:6). He is the God of hope and He fills us with joy and peace, as we trust in Him (Romans 15:13). Paul and James both believed that it is actually possible to rejoice in our suffering (Romans 5:3; James 1:2). They knew the secret of growing through our tribulation. Through suffering, we have more empathy and grace for others, as well as humility in spirit and gratitude for everything that God does for us each day. Jesus Himself taught us that we learn obedience through the things that we suffer (Hebrews 5:8).

Even if the circumstances do not turn out as we hoped they would, we have the example of Biblical Saints who clung to their trust in the faithfulness of God (Hebrews 11:13). God prepared a home in Heaven for Believers, and we will live with Him there for eternity (Hebrews 11:15-16). When life attempts to pull us from God’s everlasting arms, we only need to snuggle deeper. He will never allow anyone or anything to rip us from His embrace. As we walk by faith, God uses us as a lift boat for others who suffer persecution or difficulties. We impart to them the hope that God gave us in similar circumstances. Their faith increases when we share our testimony with them.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, our hearts rejoice in You, because we trust in Your holy name. Your unfailing love rests upon us and we put our hope in You (Psalm 33:21-22). Our soul waits silently for You, because You are our hope. You are our Rock and Salvation, our Stronghold. Therefore, we will never be shaken (Psalm 62:5-6). We may have dreams and goals for our life, but You direct our steps (Proverbs 16:9). You maneuver us through the treacherous waters of life to put us in the right place at the right time to accomplish Your will. 

Thought for the Day:

God is with the broken-hearted and carries us through our troubles. – Psalm 147:3