Finding Hope
Posted by Danielle Street on Nov 26, 2012 in Blog | 32 comments
I’m so thankful our Creator promises to give us hope and we’re guaranteed it won’t disappoint us. When we put our hope in the Lord and receive His unfailing love, I’m discovering our strength will be renewed and we’ll be provided with wisdom, peace, and joy.
This month I’ve heard more and more wonderful stories of the Lord supplying people with hope in the midst of their pain and hardship. It helped me gain a deeper hunger and thirst for my Savior and my desire to grow greatly intensified. I’ve learned if we wait to receive the Spirit’s direction and then trust Him to guide us, we will be rewarded with hope and a future. If we are willing to do what He wants us to do and glorify Him every step of the way of fulfilling His plan, God will do extraordinary things in our lives.
As we prepare to celebrate Christ’s birth this holiday season, I pray that our testimonies will be a powerful display of God’s amazing work and our lives will be proof of His eternal love and hope. “May the God of hope fill you with joy and peace as you trust in Him so that you will over flow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).
Have you set your hope in God? How are you encouraging others to put their hope in Him?
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WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE MATTEW 19:26 KEEPS ME ENCOURAGED DAILEY!
I love this verse! It always reminds me that I can find hope in the Lord when I face situations that seem impossible. Thank you for reminding us of it, Penny!
I want to thank you for praying..your site is lovely..may the God of peace keep you always.
You’re very welcome, Betty. Thank you for visiting my blog. “I pray that [Betty] would have faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which you God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time” (Titus 1:2).
I think God puts a “longing for hope” in our hearts. It’s up to us and who or what we choose to put our hope in…. Obviously, God wants us to put our hope in Him. Sometimes, that is what gets us through the day. Hope in Him and hope(assurance) for living in Heaven with Him someday.
Amen! I agree, Julie. I’m so thankful that when we feel hopeless we can find hope in the Lord!
“May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you” (Psalm 33:22).
Penny,
I must keep remembering this for daily encouragement. Thank you!!!
Further proof that we need to live in community with other believers. We are greatly encouraged when we see God at work in the lives of those we love and worship with. There is no greater power than that of a changed life at the hands of our Almighty God. We need one another and we need great blogs like yours.
Thanks
Thanks, Erin! I’m so glad you added your thoughts on the topic. I agree. We need to live in a community of believers who desire to grow and encourage one another. I often forget and need people in my life to remind me to put my hope in the Lord!
I just recently posted on my blog “7 Positive Confessions for an Abundant Spiritual Life” and this verse is one of them.It is the hope of God’s promises as truth that gets us through the trials and tribulations of this life.Without His hope, I’d have none. But with Him…all things are possible–even teaching 750 art students!
I just checked out your site, Anita. It includes wonderful advice and encouragement! I admire your commitment to rely on God’s promises to help you gain hope and strength to fulfill His plan for your life. You are impacting so many students lives. May you continue to encourage them to use their creativity to glorify God!
I love this quote from C.S. Lewis about hoping For something more:
“Most people, if they had really learned to look into their own hearts, would know that they do want, and want acutely, something that cannot be had in this world. There are all sorts of things in this world that offer to give it to you, but they never quite keep their promise. At present we are on the outside… the wrong side of the door. We discern the freshness and purity of morning, but they do not make us fresh and pure. We cannot mingle with the pleasures we see. But all the pages of the New Testament are rustling with the rumor that it will not always be so. Someday, God willing, we shall get ‘in’… We will put on glory… that greater glory of which Nature is only the first sketch. We do not want to merely ‘see’ beauty–though, God knows, even that is bounty enough. We want something else which can hardly be put into words–to be united with the beauty we see, to pass into it, to receive it into ourselves, to bathe in it, to become part of it.”
Josh, thank you for posting this quote from C.S. Lewis. When we experience trials, we can end up mistakenly searching this imperfect world for hope. C.S. Lewis reminds us to put our hope in the Lord and on eternal things. I’ve learned God created us for more. As we grow, we will hope to have more of God and do more of His will!
Check out Psalm 43, especially verse 5.
“Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.”
This sermon from John Piper on that passage is very relevant.
http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/sermons/i-will-go-to-god-my-exceeding-joy
Erik, thank you for sharing a fantastic verse that reminds us to put our hope in God. I checked out the link you posted. John Piper explains powerfully steps we need to take to put our hope in the Lord when we experience difficult trials. May we all remember we can always find eternal hope in our Perfect Creator!
A great hope-filled post, Danielle! Isn’t that an encouraging verse? I will follow your blog because, like me, you have a passion to spread the message of hope – the good news. God bless.
Thanks, Bill! Yes, Romans 15:13 is a very encouraging verse. I just subscribed to follow your blog called “Unshakable Hope.” May you continue to glorify God as you write and remind people to put their hope in Him!
Thank you Danielle for this encouragement. Holding on to hope in the midst of difficult circumstances can be a challenge. We know, that we know, that we know (my mother in law used to say that) the truth but the world’s view can shake us. It is only through keeping our eyes fixed on our eternal hope that we stand strong. Also, remembering that this is NOT our home but a stop along the way. We need to stay focused on doing God’s work while on this Earth and the hope of our coming King!
Amen! I’m so glad you shared your thoughts on the topic, Karen. Yes, it’s not easy holding onto to hope when we are facing trials. It’s especially difficult when we are trying to get through them alone. I’m so thankful for my brothers and sisters in Christ who remind me to have an eternal perspective and put my hope in the Lord!
Our world is in such desperate need of hope. I pray with you, Danielle, that those who know the One who will not disappoint will live lives of obvious hope, joy and grace. In hope! Judy
I agree, Judy! May we all pray and ask God for hope and to help us be more like Christ. Sometimes we expect God to give us what we need, but forget to ask! “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened” (Matthew 7:7-8).
Wow, this really hit home for me. I’m not in any sort of desperate or life-threatening situation, but I must admit that I’m extremely frustrated with the fact that I don’t have a full-time teaching job. I worked so hard in college and was wildly successful during student teaching. Why am I now just a sub? I sometimes find myself questioning God and His plan for my life. Sometimes I look at my situation and wonder what I’m doing wrong. Am I praying enough? Tithing enough? Serving enough? Loving enough? What more can I do to “pass the test”?
Then I sit back and realize it’s not about doing it on my own, but letting God shine through me in this journey called life. Waiting is hard. The unknown is scary. But my goodness am I glad to have hope to cling onto!
Thank you for being so real and genuine, Kate. I believe that’s when God can start to really use us. I can relate to questioning God and His plan for my life. I’m sorry to hear it’s been a struggle finding a teaching job. It’s not easy! I truly admire how you are seeking God in the midst of the frustration and continuing to put your hope in Him. How you are responding to this situation is touching many people’s lives! I will pray on scripture for you right now… “God, I pray that Kate will see the Lord always before her. Because You are at her right hand, she will not be shaken. Therefore Kate’s heart is glad and her tongue rejoices; her body will also rest in hope” (Acts 2:25-26).
Katie, just like David is in the Psalms your feelings are honest as you express your fears and frustrations of the unknown. “ In You, O Lord, I put my trust;” (Psalm71:1). “But I will hope continually, And will praise You yet more and more.” (Psalm 71:14). Keep on clinging to your hope in the Lord!! As your former elementary teacher, I have watched you grow from a quiet model student to a confident Christian young lady. I would be honored to have you take over my class. You are not just a sub!!! It takes an especially creative person to want to step into a classroom and temporarily take over the control. Students can be brutal to subs and many times lesson plans are sketchy. So, your toolbox of experience and knowledge is now expanding!! God has a purpose for this field session. On a more hopeful note, it is still early in the year for teachers to submit their retirement requests, so, keep on believing. “ O God, You have taught me from my youth; And to this day, I declare Your wondrous works” (Psalm 71: 17).
Today, I went to an ultrasound to see my little man… I am 28.5 weeks pregnant. Then, I went to talk with the Palliative Care Doctors. My little Ezra has Trisomy 13 and many other problems that will take him home to be with Jesus shortly after he is born (if he is even born alive) then my husband and I went to the funeral home to pick out his casket and make buriel plans.
It’s hard to know what feelings I should be having right now but I know that my husband and I have chosen to trust God through all of this. That we know He has a purpose in the events happening in our lives. We have chosen to reject what the world has to say about what is “fair” but to Hope in the Lord and to know that this hope is based on His unfailing love for us but also His glory. In the choices my husband and I have made, we have set aside our personal earthly desires to turn our focus on how we can better reflect Christ in our lives through this completely devastating time in our lives.
God is good! He is good all the time! I felt an abundance of peace that passed all understanding today. I know it was because I had so many people praying for us throughout the day. God never left me through the whole day. I will praise His name… no matter what!
Betty! I am so sorry. I just found your comment in my spam folder so I wasn’t able to approve it on the day you posted it!! Thank you so much for sharing your story on my blog. You were one of the people who inspired me to write about hope. Your powerful testimony has been touching so many people’s lives and drawing them closer to our Savior. I truly admire how you desire to put your hope in the Lord during this very difficult time. May our Almighty God continue to give you and your family strength and surround you with His unfailing love!
I enjoy your posts, Danielle. It’s amazing to me how just about every one is something I needed to hear right when I read it. Thanks for writing!
Thank you so much, Carrie. I really appreciate your encouragement. I enjoy reading what God has been teaching you on your site! May you continue to put your hope in the Lord and encourage others to do the same as you speak and write!
Danielle, thanks for sharing what God has laid on your heart. If anyone reading this is unsure of where they will spend eternity, I want to encourage them in the hope that can be found in trusting alone in God’s way of salvation.
By God’s grace, I am a Christian. I’m saved by the blood of Jesus and know I will be in heaven when I die. The Bible says in Romans 5:8, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” He died for me… a SINNER. I can not even begin to express the hope God provides through knowing this.
Believing that there is a God is good, but it’s not enough to get someone into heaven. In John 3:16 it says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Our sin, which is ANYTHING that doesn’t please God, separates us from Him. Jesus never sinned, so He was the only one righteous enough to take our place on the cross and die for us.
He shed His blood on the cross for our sins, but He didn’t stay dead. He rose again and is living in heaven. What we need to understand is that you, along with me and every other person on this earth, deserve hell as a punishment for sin. We are all sinners. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” This includes good people. In fact, God doesn’t see us as good at all. He sees all of our good deeds as filthy rags. Isaiah 64:6 says, “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.” Even though He sees us as we are, He still looks on us with love. If you have faith that He took YOUR punishment on the cross, and have faith that He is the ONLY way to heaven, He can save you.
All you need is faith (believing without seeing) and repentance (turning away from your sin, being sorry for them and not wanting to do them anymore). 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Hebrews 10:17 says, “And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.” God is willing to forgive us and forget our sins… no matter how much we sin. I have been a Christian for 6 years and I still sin every day. Do you know what the amazing part is? God still forgives me when I ask him to.
1. ACKNOWLEDGE your sin: “…God be merciful to me a sinner.” (Luke 18:13)
2. REPENT: “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” (Luke 13:3)
3. CONFESS: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
4. BELIEVE: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
5. RECEIVE: “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:” (John 1:12)
God’s gift to you is short and simple. It’s there for anyone. Remember, 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Whether you accept or reject Him, all will stand before God one day. Although some do not believe this, it does not mean it is not going to happen. Romans 3:3 says, “For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?” You don’t have to believe it, but whether you choose to believe or not will not change the future. There is coming a day when you’re going to die. The Bible says in John 3:18 that, “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” Not making a choice to accept Him IS still making a choice. Ask God to save you and He will!
Getting saved was the best decision I have ever made! Knowing that I will be in heaven some day can bring so much peace. If you are trusting in the things you are doing to get into heaven, God says it will not be enough. ALL He commands is FAITH and REPENTANCE. Don’t trust in your own good deeds, trust in God alone! If you ask God to save you, your life will be forever changed.
Praise God! Thank you for explaining the gift of salvation so clearly, Diane! When we take those steps towards accepting Christ and committing our lives to Him, we are guaranteed hope and eternity in heaven when we die. It brings me great joy to know I will see you, Diane, in the place our Heavenly Father is preparing for us. Everything we do here is getting us ready for our real home in Heaven! May we all continue to boldly proclaim the gospel and carry out the Great Commission!
Danielle,
Loved your encouraging post on Hope. Little things do discourage us from time to time and these events can either draw us to God or away from God. Recently, I had a “horrible, terrible, no good, very bad day” (I think that’s the title from the much beloved children’s book). As I fretted about wondering what I should do in response to my day, I heard God whispering in the quiet of the night, read your Bible. I opened to my current devotions in Psalms and found that I was on Psalm 38. God answers prayers even when we are fragile in our despair. In Psalm 38 I was directed not to do anything, to remain quiet in response to my adversaries, and instead let him fight my battle. Hope in the Lord and Trust He will fight our battles for us.
Hi Andrea, thank you so much for sharing your thoughts. I’m sorry to hear that you have had some rough days. You’re right. I think the way you described it is a title of a children’s book. I really admire how you paid attention to God speaking to you and opened up His Word to read His amazing promises. In Psalm 38, I love how David is very real with God. May we all remember to put on the full armor of God and rely on His hope and strength as we face different battles.