Our True Hope
Life can be difficult sometimes. All of us go through seasons filled with difficulty, grief, or loss. And even if you haven’t experienced those things yet, you’ve probably had moments where you’ve grown tired of doing good. As much as we want to live well and do good to others, the truth is that we will all grow weary of it at some point.
In Isaiah 40:31, Isaiah says that those who hope in God will find renewed strength. The key to perseverance in difficult seasons is not simply pushing through and trying harder. Strength isn’t found in simply hoping our circumstances will change.
God’s Word says that true strength comes from placing our hope in God. Because God is all-powerful, He alone has the power to change our circumstances. But God also knows that as humans, we grow weary and restless. We often place our hope in temporary solutions when we should be relying on God, who can truly help us.
But when we place our hope in God alone, Scripture tells us we will find renewed strength to endure life’s challenges. Hoping in God means trusting in His promises—even if we don’t see them fulfilled in our lifetime.
During this season of Advent and time of reflection, how can you allow the Lord to renew your hope in God? Allow Him to search your heart. Pray that you will be filled with the strength and hope that only God can provide.
Fight Fear with Hope
It seems there’s always something to worry about: natural disasters, current (and potential) wars, shaky finances, relational brokenness, unmet expectations, political/cultural/racial divisions, senseless violence, our kids, our jobs, our health, and more—much more. But many of the things we fear are largely out of our control.
We can’t always control what happens to us, but we can choose our response.
You can constantly be worried, negative, anxious, fearful, critical, and bitter. Or, you can be known for seeing the good in people, choosing joy, offering encouragement, looking for God’s fingerprints, and always finding something to be grateful for. In either case, the cycle feeds itself.
Like hummingbirds are attracted to sweet things while vultures scour the earth for dead things, we will always find what we are looking for. Why? Because darkness and light both exist. Good and evil are everyday realities. And we must decide who we’ll trust, and how we’ll spend our ...