HOPE

"I pray that God, the source of HOPE, will fill you completely with JOY and PEACE because you trust in Him.  Then you will overflow with confident HOPE through the power of the Holy Spirit".  Romans 15:13

HOPE....it comforts us, sustains us, revives us, relaxes us, calms us, bathes us in peace, fill us with joy and exudes confidence in us.  But attaining hope, living in hope and sharing hope can be elusive to us if we put all our energy and focus on our circumstances.  Choosing to do this will exhaust us and keep us from leaning and trusting on our God.

When we deliberately walk down the path of living in the past, or decide to set our thoughts on unfulfilled expectations of what if's, then the chances for hope to enter into our lives becomes smaller and the light of hope dwelling in us becomes dimmer.

God's Word is filled with HOPE, but too numerous for me to list on one page, so here is just a few:
I am a child of God, John 1:12;  I am His friend, John 15:5;  I have peace with God because I have been made right in His sight, Romans 5:1;  I have been adopted into His family, Eph. 1:5;  He chose me, Eph. 1:4;  He freely gives me grace, Eph. 1:6; His Word revives me, Psalm 119:50;  He strengthens me, hears me, delivers me from my enemies, Psalm 18;  He blesses those who trust Him, Jeremiah 17:7-8!!  That's just a tip of the list!

But how can I know all this?  I have to purposely go to His Word, fill my thought life with His promises, dwell with Him and pray to Him to be able to glean from Him the HOPE He offers.  When we choose those steps, there is a promise from Him in Isaiah 55:8-13.  Go there and dwell on those verses.  Make the effort and take the time.  The promise He gives us in those verses is that His Word (each time you read it or hear it) NEVER returns empty to Him.  His Word will accomplish what He desires every time it goes forth.  What a tremendous promise.  Every time you read His Word He is accomplishing something with it in you.  Every time you hear His Word there will be change in your life.  That is HOPE!

Share that hope with others this holiday season.  Surrender all your needs, trust Him to take care of you and fill you with His hope!