"Hope"

  People need hope. God gives hope. But tell that to someone who is going through a difficulty that is intense. To them, hope is nothing but a word, not reality. If you are one going through such a difficulty have hope!

  Hope relies on two major things: (1) God is faithful and (2) God is able. Many want to believe God is faithful but will He be faithful to me, at this moment in my dire circumstances? Just read I Cor. 10:13 and Heb. 7:25 allowing the word of the Lord to sink deep within.

  People in their problems focus on the problem. It's so easy to do. We panic, fret and seem to have no answers other than we make a move to do what we want to do. Matters get worse. We look for God and find no real answers. What's missing? Our trust in God! We want to do something yet in the midst of the difficulty, do we not hear "Be still and know I am God!" ? Faith in God gives hope no matter what. What are we to do? Hope in God! What does that mean? Trust Him to work it all out and realize you are going to become stronger through this by drawing near. God is faithful and God is able. It's not God's side that's in question here. If we come to know that God is faithful and able, that alone should give us hope! Hope has God at the center.

  When does hope disappear? When God is no longer the center and the fear becomes the center. God wants to help but we won't allow Him because we run so head-strong and fast forward in a panic mode that God is pushed out. The result is our pain increases and faith in God decreases. Hope is lost. Faith is abandoned. We become this empty shell. When we can keep God and Christ at the center, it will carry us to the end no matter what may come. The word rings true: "Hope does not disappoint!" (Rom. 5:5)