Scriptures on Hope

People have turned to the Scriptures for centuries for comfort and to find hope in dealing with situations that seem hopeless or buried in despair.  To have hope in an unseen entity takes a great belief. Through the Bible, there are so many instances of people standing against adversity with the hope that the Lord will deliver them from the situation in which they are being persecuted. 

There are so many scriptures in the Bible that pertain to hope. Hebrews 11:1, Proverbs 24:20, Proverbs 24:14, and Jeremiah 29:11 cover hope for the future.

Proverbs 24:19-20 
"Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of wicked men for the evil man has no future; the lamp of the wicked will be put out."

The hopes of a true believer do not lie in things of this world, but of the promise for everlasting life through Jesus Christ. Evil or wicked men in this life are not to be envied for their Earthly possessions or what seems their good fortunes for those who are washed in the blood of Christ will be given the ultimate reward in heaven.

Proverbs 24:14 
"Know that wisdom is such to your soul; if you find it, there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off."

A righteous man when he walks with the Lord, listens to His words, and gains wisdom will always have hope for the future and peace in knowing that the Lord will continue to provide.

Jeremiah 29:11
"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."

The Lord will not forsake you when you walk with Him. He knows the paths that He wants you to follow. He will provide you with the hope and future that He has arranged for you as you continue to grow and learn in your faith.

Titus 1:1-2, Titus 3:7, 1 Corinthians 4:16-18, and 1 Peter 1:3 relate to hope of Eternal Life and Salvation

Titus 1:1-2
"Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness, in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies promised before the beginning of time,"

Before the Lord sent His son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins, He promised eternal life to those who believed in Him. After Jesus came to Earth and died for our sins, the Lord still promised eternal life for those who believed in Him and come to Him through His son.

Titus 3:7 
"so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life."

Once again we are reminded that the Lord has promised eternal life for those who have accepted Jesus into their hearts and live according to the word of God.

1 Corinthians 15:19 
"If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied by more than all men."

The covenant was given by the Lord that those who believe in Him will have eternal life. By having that hope and the expectation of eternal life, we know that we will always be sheltered by the Lord. We are not to be pitied for our hope but joyful in our knowledge that we will have eternal life.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18
"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

Even though these verses do not have the word hope, the meaning within them inspires hope. Although we are aging day by day and our bodies are becoming more and more frail, we still have the hope and the promise of eternal life. We know that as we walk through this fallen world, we will face pain, grief, and tribulation as well as love, joy, and contentment. But we also know that we do not truly belong in this world, we are called to a higher place once we have completed the tasks set before us here.

1 Peter 1:3 
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,"

This is another example of how the Lord has given us the promise of eternal life and that we will achieve perfection when we leave this world.

Throughout the Book of Romans, we are given uplifting words of hope.

Romans 5:2-5 
"Through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."

The love of the Lord is so pure and we know that through our love and commitment to Him, we will obtain eternal life. It is this hope that sees us through the darkness of this fallen world and allows us to see the light and the path that He has chosen for us.

Romans 8:24-25
"For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently."

We cannot see or touch the Lord but we can see His hand in the blessings and miracles around us in this world. We have to have hope while moving through this world, even though we cannot see our Lord or the promise of eternal life.

Romans 15:4
"For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."

We are taught to learn from history and the Bible is a history book as well as a guide book. Therefore, we must learn from the missteps of those who walked before us. We have a sense of hope as we read through the Bible and we know that through our hope and love for our Lord, we will obtain eternal life.

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."

Many times we can see a light shining forth from a person and we know that they have hope in the Lord and a peace in the promise of eternal life. The Holy Spirit resides within their heart and the hope that they feel shines from deep within their soul.

The Bible offers scriptures of hope when dealing with a crisis.

Psalm 27:4-5 
"One thing I asked of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.  For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock."

When facing tribulations or stumbling blocks, we must remember to keep our eyes securely fastened upon the Lord and He will protect us and keep our enemies at bay. The Lord will pick us up and dust us off when we fall into the dirt face first and he will heal our wounds when we are attacked.

Mark 5:35-36  
"While Jesus was still speaking, some med came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler, “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why trouble the Teacher any more?” Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, “Don’t be afraid, just believe.”"

Even though we cannot see the Lord or know His plans for us, we do know that He will always be there for us even when we doubt. Our faith will endure even through our missteps and our grief.

Scriptures were taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version.

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God Bless,

Rev. Michelle

1 Chronicles 16:11

I have felt let down and uneasy for several weeks. It was more of restlessness within my soul that kept me on edge and looking over my shoulder. There have been so many odd things happening lately and I had not realized until it was almost too late that Satan was whispering in my ear more and more. I won’t say that God was silent during these past weeks, but I think He was waiting.

I walked a thin line between hating God and wanting Him in my life. Things at home have been super stressful with the passing of a beloved family member and the worry about the elderly spouse left behind. As the family focused on their grief, God was pushed further away. It was not until I sat quietly at my desk that I asked the all important question: “Are you there Lord?”

I sat quietly for several minutes and then I seemed to feel a calming within my heart and heard the faintest whisper: “Here I am.” I remember smiling and then bowing my head and sobbing!

After my crying fit was over, I began praising Him and thanking Him for not abandoning me! It was then that I realized that some of my choices over the past few months had not been driven by my love of God or my desire to do His work.

I now have one of my favorite verses written on sticky notes around the house, in my office and in my car…”Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face continually” (1 Chronicles 16:11).

As I cling to these words, I am reminded that even though Satan is being a little louder than usual and very obnoxious, my God will never forsake me and that He will lend me strength when I need it most!

Losing It!

This is basically a sounding board post...me putting my thoughts on paper and talking things through with myself and praising God for being all-mighty!

There have been times in  my life where I was so sure of the path that I was on. Then there have been times, such as now, where I was so lost. The past few months have been difficult at best, ailing grandparents, disabled parents and a sense of helplessness have defined my days for so long now that I do not think I am able to fully concentrate.

It has been a year of ups and downs, more downs than ups. It has also been a year of change and self-evaluation. I have always been a person of decisiveness and willing to move forward with a plan just to see it through. Lately, I have been the master of indecisiveness, second-guessing my every move. It took me a while to figure out exactly why I was feeling this way. Simply put, it was Satan eating away at my self-confidence and making me feel inadequate to any task.

I am still in the process of searching for the right path. I implore my Father daily for guidance and His hand upon me as I stumble around. I have figured several things out though since the demise of my self-assured walk. I now know that my current employment is temporary. While I love teaching, I have been doing so since I was 19 years old and I am burning out.

With the graduation of yet another group of students, I realized that my heart was no longer in it. I walk through the halls and I remember all the students who have passed through. I have a difficult time seeing the new faces because I am comparing them to the others. It is not fair to the students and I feel horrible! So, I will be stepping back more and more and focusing on my other callings: writing and discipleship.

I have had three individuals tell me I should start a church or a fellowship. I do not feel that the Lord is leading me to start a church, but I am beginning to wonder if He has laid it on my heart to move forward with a fellowship. Maybe this is where my future is...

Have you ever had a day or a week or even a month of stumbling around in the darkness? I feel like I have been fumbling and stumbling since May. I am beginning to see a few rays of light through the darkness, but there has not been a total breakthrough yet. I know that my faith is strong, even when I waiver. I know that the Lord is sitting beside me as I type this and He is reaching out to me and giving me the encouragement and love that I need to make it through these trials.

Thank you Lord, for being a patient parent and for giving me your hand to hold as I seek for my place and my path among the world.

All Powerful God

"We're serving a God who is all-powerful. There isn't anything too big or too difficult to keep us discouraged. God will help us through life's circumstances, no matter what." -- Charles F. Stanley

During a time of heart-break and sorrow, this message came to me in the mail from In Touch Ministry.

I have an ailing family member who is not expected to recover from her condition and it is breaking the hearts of all that love and cherish her. Her husband is bitter because he is losing his wife of 46 years and there is nothing he can do to keep her here. Her children are grieved because they watched her throw caution to the wind and ignore doctors' advise time and again. Her friends are fearful because that could be them lying lifeless in that hospital bed.

We are never given more than we can handle. That is what I keep repeating to myself as I stare across the waiting room, avoiding all contact with family members who are bent on destroying me and my child. I am caught in a waiting game. Waiting for doctor reports saying that she is slipping away inch by inch, waiting to hear the gentle whisper of the Lord as I pray his will and peace for those suffering and grieving. Waiting for the other shoe to drop and the attack to begin.

My family is not a close and loving family. We are a motley crew of believers and unbelievers butting heads and throwing insults. We have the devote Catholics who sure are glad they are not Christian, we have the athiest who hates God (I always thought an athiest was one who did not believe in the existence of God, therefore, how can you hate one who does not exist?). Then there is the holiday Christians and the "it's okay as long as you don't get caught" Christians. There are also those who are seeking Him and working towards completely turning their lives over to Him and His will. An interesting group of broken souls, righteous indignations and humble beings.

As I look about me and see this rag-tag gathering, I really think of the words uttered by Charles F. Stanley. We do indeed serve a God who is all-powerful. While my relative is lying in the hospital bed with little hope of recovery, we know that the Lord is the divine physician and He is able to heal the broken and infirmed. He is also capable of calling home his people and then giving those left behind the peace and strength necessary to carry on.

God will walk beside us through any situation and it is that promise that I am clinging to while I watch the suffering that is before me. During my stint in the ICU waiting room and sitting by her bedside, I spend much of that time is silent prayer for those around me and for His will to be shown. It is a difficult prayer to pray, especially when His will is not always your will. But I know that He will be there through it all and will lift us up and give us hope as we face one of our biggest challenges.

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Patiently Waiting

It has been months since I have posted anything. That is because I stopped asking my Lord for help. I stopped listening for his answers. I became impatient and so much like the sullen teenager who does not get their way. My world was crumbling and I felt lost and alone, abandoned if you will. Life seemed to dragging me along until I could no longer keep up.

After being reminded by a very unlikely source that my life was so hellish because I was no longer patiently waiting for God's answer. I was forging ahead and trying to make things happen on my own. He has a plan for me but I was unwilling to wait for Him to reveal it to me. My discontentment was beginning to show in my work and my relationships. I was suffering and those around me were starting to suffer as well.

The Lord brought me to my knees and I cried out in anguish because I was no longer fully trusting in Him. I basically spit on Him and stomped on His love. I went to Him in prayer and offered my heart to Him. I listened quietly and patiently, then I wept when I heard the faintest whisper in my soul. He filled me with peace and embraced me with love. I have not slept so soundly as I did last night after hearing Him reassure me.

This morning I awoke to a feather-light touch upon my cheek and a lightness in my heart. It was my Lord encouraging me to arise and continue my work for Him. Although it is going to take a while for me to get used to laying all my troubles and worries at the foot of the cross again, I know that I have a mighty Father who is waiting to catch me when I stumble again. Life is complicated, at least that is what many people say. For me, it is only complicated when I shut Him out and refuse to listen to His wisdom and feel His love.