Hope

• Printable Version - Share on Facebook - Posted by Jeffrey Smith February 26, 2016 - Filed in Devotional - #Devotional  #Christian Devotional  #  #  #  - 1,901 views
  Romans 8:24: For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees?

  Romans 4:18: Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be."

   

  Hoping in what is yet to come is what we must do continually. When we hope for something that we already have, then what is the point? You see in Jesus, the work has been done. We just have to walk into the blessing of what it is we ultimately hope for.

  Let's take Abraham for example.  He wanted children, he wanted a son so bad, and yet he was aging and in the natural it was impossible for Sarah to conceive. Through his hope and his desire that he made known to the Lord, it truly came to pass, and not in some small way. He became " the father of many nations." If we are stuck in a bad situation, an ailment, a financial lack, a fear, or a desire to experience something amazing, then it is absolutely fruitful to hope and see in our minds and hearts the very thing we desire as already completed. If you desire to travel to exotic locations, or to see a long lost loved one, then see it completed in your life. Give thought and prayer to it and then get your bags packed. The Lord will always make a way. If you feel trapped by something that feels much larger than you, then see Jesus as a thousand times larger than the obstacle. If you are hoping for more food and yet you have a full stomach, then that hope is no hope at all. Hoping for something beyond your current situation gives Jesus the fuel to make it come to pass in your life. I know personally that when I write out a goal, and after my wife and I laugh at the sight of that goal, that Jesus is going to make it happen. While we were first dating, my wife wrote down on an old Atlas 10 goals that we would like to see happen in our lives, and one of them was to run a marathon. She didn't run a mile on purpose for the first 10 years of our marriage, and yet through an amazing transformation, she completed a marathon. Not only was it just a marathon, but it was the 40th Historic Marine Corps Marathon. Not only is that a big deal, but the amount of people who can enter is limited.  Yet her name was picked out of thousands who entered! You see when God knows you have a hope for something, he makes it way more grand and beautiful than we could ever imagine on our own. He has brought me and my family through to experiences that we never dreamed possible when we gave it to Him. Hope is crucial to any situation and so I encourage you to hope beyond what you can see for yourself today.  Then watch the tapestry of beauty that the Lord is going to weave into your life to show you how much He loves you.

   

  Father, thank You for how much You love us.  Thank You for surprising us with little and big things every day.  Let us never again go through a day without hoping in You.  Help us to see the things that seem impossible happen in our lives even before You cause them to happen.  We believe Lord, help our unbelief.  Thank You Lord for peace today as we hope and see our lives transform by Your hand.  We love You and seek You in Jesus name, amen.