My hope does not rest on my circumstances, it rests on the God who reigns over them.
I love these lyrics: “My hope is built on nothing less. Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly trust in Jesus’ name.”
Hope keeps us going. Without it, depression will arise, and it will get to the point where we start to wonder: What’s the point?
I strongly believe this is the reason why the enemy tries so hard to steal our hope. For without hope, we begin to lose sight of the meaning and purpose of life, and we waste our lives wallowing in our misery. I have been in this place countless times before, and as I am writing these words, tears are in my eyes because it reminds me of my desperate need of my sweet Jesus.
I put my hope in Jesus simply because He put it on the inside of me. No matter who you are or what you do, you will experience trials. We live in a fallen world, and because the kingdom of God is not fully here on Earth, we will experience heart break, grief, disappointments, and tragedy. It is so easy to look at the condition of our world and get discouraged; and wonder if God really does exist.
The beautiful thing about God is that He is working even when it is hard to see it. His glory is seen in a baby’s smile, love, generous acts from a stranger, the beautiful scenery in the sky, laughter, and even in pain.
Whenever I fall to my knees before God-- crying out to Him because of the confusion, pain, and disappointments that I experience, He gently reminds me to look up. As I start to look up, I am reminded of the hope of heaven, and that our true home resides there. A home where He will wipe away ever tear from our eyes, and where there will be no more death or mourning or crying because the old way of things will pass away (Revelation 21:4).
We cannot change the condition of this world, but; However, what we can change is our perspective. If we focus on the world for what it truly is, we will constantly be heartbroken; but, when we put our hope in Jesus, and remind ourselves that He is in control and that He will make all things new, we will begin to feel excitement and hopeful expectation.
God’s kingdom is present with us; and In His presence, we find healing, peace, strength, joy, and hope even in the midst of fiery trials and painful ordeals. Let’s take hold of His promises and remember that, “Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:21 NKJV).
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