“Jesus loves me this I know, for the bible tells me so…”.  For the bible tells me so…and for His tangible goodness tells me so.  I experienced that goodness is one of the sweetest ways on last weekend.  How, you may ask?  When God sent a pastor from South Africa across the world to share with our church congregation about the absolute power–and necessity–of a life established in hope.  Pastor McCauley stirred our hearts and minds with a direct word from the Lord–and simply put: we are to be people of hope!

While taking in the sermon, I couldn’t help but recall the similar word from the Lord that He had spoken to me several years earlier.  In His exact words, the Lord said, “hope is in.”  As in hope is for now. For today. For tomorrow. For the future. For all of your life.  It’s not some flimsy, whimsical, wish bone-ish spiritual term with no power behind it.  To the contrary, it’s the building block–the spiritual blueprint–to everything our faith will ever deliver.   (Read the entire Word the Lord gave me then.)

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” ~ Hebrews 11:1

We are people of faith, without question.  But oftentimes, we place so much emphasis on our faith, and we neglect the necessary foundation of hope.  Ask yourself, what are you hoping for?

So what exactly is this hope as God and the bible define it?  I’m glad you asked because it’s totally contrary to the general connotation of an “uncertain”, “well maybe”, “I hope so” rendering.  Instead, bible hope is confident expectation in the Word, promises, provision, goodness, mercy, grace, faithfulness, love…and so on…of God.  It’s a fervor that’s white hot with expectancy–and is not about to be denied.

That’s what God is calling His people to again.  He wants you to pick up those things that you once hoped for–expected–and somehow let fall along the way side. The dreams that disappointment, failure, mistakes, delay, hurt, confusion, or whatever it may be, caused you to let go and stop expecting.  Believing–but not truly expecting.  And that never works.

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life. (Proverbs 13:12, NLT.)

It’s time to restore your hope, excitement, anticipation and expectancy because God is eagerly waiting to move in greater ways in your life.  He has promised that the best is yet to come!  It’s coming, and you need to be focused on it–not the problem, challenge or obstacle.  Expect. Believe.  And Receive.  God is for you, so remember to keep hope alive.

Blessings,

Dawn