Hope is more than just a four-letter word. It is more than just a noun. Hope is a feeling, "a feeling that what is wanted will happen," as defined by Webster's English Dictionary. Hope is "to desire with expectation of obtainment; to expect with confidence," as Merriam Webster's Dictionary also puts it. In other words, when you have hope for something, you desire what you are hoping for, and expect to have it. You anticipate what you are hoping for to be obtainable.
Everyone can have hope. Anyone can have someone in their life that gives them hope, whether it is God, their parents, a friend, their spouse, and/or their children. The top three people in my life that give me hope are God and my parents. Out of those that give us hope, not one compares to God, who gives the greatest hope of all. God does not just give hope; He IS hope. Hebrews 6:19 describes hope as "an anchor for the soul, firm and secure." There are times in life that may make it seem like hope is impossible to obtain. I may not know how difficult the trials you are facing right now are, but know this: There is truly hope. There is nothing so difficult that God cannot handle. True hope is found in God. When you put your hope in God, you can always have hope. His hope is everlasting. One can obtain hope in even the most overwhelming trials. No matter what you are struggling with right now, you can have hope. With hope comes faith. You cannot hope for something greater to happen if you do not truly believe it will happen. Jesus encourages us in Mark 11:24 to "believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." Have faith that you will receive a new job. Have faith that you will pass your driver's test. Have faith that God will make a way for your bills to be paid. Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as "being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." To "hope for and [be] certain of what we do not see" (Heb. 11:1) is "to walk by faith, not by sight," as 2 Corinthians 5:7 encourages us to do. You can hope for the unseen by trusting in God, knowing that He always provides. Trust in God for a breakthrough in your life. Trust in Him for a miracle to happen. There are times when God does not give us exactly what we ask and hope for. Instead, He gives us something far greater. Sometimes, we get impatient when something we are hoping to happen is not happening in the time we want it to. God provides not in our timing, but in His. Waiting is not always so fun, whether it is waiting in busy traffic or a long line. When you wait on God and trust in His timing, He will do some amazing things that are definitely worth the wait for. Romans 8:25 exclaims. "But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently." To wait for something you hope for can take time. It takes patience. It takes faith. Even when we wait on God, He is at work. A pastor and founder of the Passion Movement, Louie Giglio asserted, "To us, waiting is wasting. To God, waiting is working." In Mark 5, a woman received healing from Jesus after she had been been suffering from bleeding for twelve years. Despite the amount of care she received from doctors, her condition became worse. Even though it did not seem that her bleeding would stop, she had hope in being healed when "she heard about Jesus" (verse 28). By faith, she received a touch of healing by Jesus when she went to touch his cloak in verse 28. I may not know how long you have been waiting for healing, a breakthrough, or whatever it may be, but know this: When the time is perfectly right, God will give you what you have been hoping for or something far more incredible. Remember that God has your back today. I'd like to close with this prayer for you found in Romans 15:13 : May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. -Johanna
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AuthorHello there! Welcome to my blog! My name's Johanna. I am a Jesus-loving twenty-year-old who also loves to make people laugh, spend time with family, explore the outdoors, and take photos. I hope my blog inspires and encourages you to draw more closer to God and enjoy life more. Remember that you were created for a purpose. You are wonderful. Archives
June 2017
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