ThingsHopedFor | Kristi's Morning Devotional

I am happy to report that I am back this morning, coffee cup in hand, and ready to share what the Lord has put on my heart.

Hope.

As situations and circumstances seem to get more intense, the hopes of good people seem to be waning. For some, discouragement and complacency have replaced optimism and high expectations.

Hope will fade if it isn’t placed in the right source. There’s an old hymn that I used to sing in Sunday night service and it goes like this: “My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus’ name. On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand. All other ground is sinking sand.”

Building Hope.

This song was written in 1834 by a man who was born into a life of poverty in London. His situation seemed hopeless. No expectations for a future any greater than that of his parents but then someone introduced him to Jesus and things changed.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 NLT

Misplaced hope crumbles but as the words of the song say, “On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand”. Those were Jesus’ very words to his disciples. He was teaching them where to place their hope.

“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. ²⁵Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. ²⁶But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. ²⁷When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.” Matthew 7:24-27 NLT

Hope is built on the Rock!

Building hope is like constructing a home, one brick upon another. Let me share just a few verses, building blocks, from Psalms.

“May integrity and honesty protect me, for I put my hope in you.” Psalm 25:21 NLT

“So be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord!” Psalm 31:24 NLT

“We put our hope in the Lord. He is our help and our shield.” Psalm 33:20 NLT

“And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in you.” Psalm 39:7 NLT

“And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.” Romans 5:5 NLT

The author of the hymn, The Solid Rock, Edward Mote was confident of the hope found in Christ alone. King David, who wrote most of the book of Psalms, knew to hope in God. The Apostle Paul, who delivered God’s message of grace and unconditional love, built his hope on the foundation of God’s promises.

“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 NLT

That’s my prayer for you. In building hope, we find joy and peace!

Every few years the Lord reminds me of my need to be contentedly patient.

Therein lays the struggle. “Contentedly” patient. Patient in the moment of today while still waiting for the fulfillment of God’s promise. If we become so intent on the when of the promise, we lose sight of the now of our walk of faith.

We become impatient and impatience is a destroyer of faith.

When we become impatient, we begin to try to work things out on our own – we wonder if God is ever going to come through – what’s taking sooooooooooo long? Those kinds of thoughts come from doubt and doubt brings fear – fear that it is never going to work out right. Doubt and fear will choke out the promises of God’s word – they can outweigh faith, if we let them. We must stand with confidence in God’s word if we expect to see God’s promises fulfilled.

“But when you ask for something, you must have faith and not doubt. Anyone who doubts is like an ocean wave tossed around in a storm. ^7-8If you are that kind of person, you can’t make up your mind, and you surely can’t be trusted. So don’t expect the Lord to give you anything at all.” James 1:6-8 CEV

Abram followed God from his homeland out into the middle of nowhere because God made him a promise. A promise that he would possess great land and be the father of many nations. God changed Abram’s name to Abraham reiterating the promise that he would be a father of many descendants.

Abraham and his wife, Sarah, had to wait years to see that promise come to pass. They tried to rush the promise, using their own efforts, and it caused real issues of jealousy and bitterness. Their efforts didn’t stop God’s plan.

“God promised Abraham a lot of descendants. And when it all seemed hopeless, Abraham still had faith in God and became the ancestor of many nations. ¹⁹ Abraham’s faith never became weak, not even when he was nearly 100 years old. He knew he was almost dead and that his wife Sarah could not have children. ²⁰But Abraham never doubted or questioned God’s promise. His faith made him strong, and he gave all the credit to God. ²¹Abraham was certain that God could do what he had promised.” Romans 4:18-21 CEV

What is it that God has promised you? Don’t give up – don’t fall back. Move forward – continue to follow in obedience what God has put in your heart.

“By faith even Sarah herself, when she was unable to have children, received power to conceive offspring, even though she was past the age, since she considered that the One who had promised was faithful.” Hebrews 11:11

Keep going. Don’t become impatient. A friend of ours told us once “If God says go North He will provide, if you go South you’ll think you died”.

Follow God and He’ll bring His promises to pass.

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Building Hope

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