“Abraham, when hope was dead within him, went on hoping in faith . . . He relied on the word of God.”
Romans 4:18 (PHILLIPS) How do you know when hope has died in your life? You start using the word “never.” I’m never going to get married. I’m never going to graduate. I’m never going to get well. I’m never going to get out of debt. I’m never going to be able to let go of my past and forget all of that shame and heartache. I’m never going to be able to change. I’m never going to see this situation turn around. That’s when hope has died—when you have reached a dead end and don’t see a way out. What do you do when your hope dies? Romans 4:18 says, “Abraham, when hope was dead within him, went on hoping in faith . . . He relied on the word of God” (PHILLIPS). When you are at a dead end—when it’s hard to hold on to hope—you need the Bible. Read it. Study it. Memorize it. Think about it. Write it down on little notecards and take them wherever you go. The Bible is full of promises, and nothing else can encourage you like it can. When you rely on the Word and trust in its promises, it will revive you emotionally. You won’t panic because you’ll be reminded that, even though something is out of your control, it’s not out of God’s control. A dead end is a test of your faith. The Bible says in Hebrews 11:17, “While God was testing him, Abraham still trusted in God and his promises, and so he offered up his son Isaac” (TLB). When God said he wanted Abraham to sacrifice his son, Abraham didn’t blink an eye. He didn’t panic—because he remembered what God could do. He relied on what God had promised him. Sometimes, like it did for Abraham, it looks like God wants you to give up your most precious dream. Can you offer that to him in faith, trusting in God’s deliverance? Maybe you’re at a dead end now, and it seems there is no way out. Hear this: Things are never as bleak as they seem. If you see no way out, it’s because you’re looking from a human viewpoint, not God’s. Romans 4:20 says, “Abraham never doubted. He believed God, for his faith and trust grew ever stronger, and he praised God for this blessing even before it happened” (TLB). A promise is only as good as the character of the person who makes the promise. The Bible says God cannot lie because he is complete truth. If he makes a promise to you, he’s going to fulfill it. It will happen exactly as he has said. When you’re at your dead end, trust in God’s truth.
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“I certainly believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the Lord.”
Psalm 27:13-14 (NASB) God has only good plans for your life. He never has, and he never will have bad plans for you. Yet, many people miss God’s plan for their lives because they don’t trust God. Instead, they decide to follow their own plan, which leads to hopelessness and pessimism in the end. The more you understand God’s goodness, the more hopeful you’ll be—because hope is anticipating God’s goodness. The only reason you have real hope is because God is good; without God’s goodness, there’s no rational reason for hope. King David said in Psalm 27:13-14, “I certainly believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the Lord” (NASB). Everything God does for you, through you, to you, and in you is because he is good. God’s goodness in your life is never based on how good you are; it’s always based on God’s character, not yours. Are you fighting discouragement, doubt, or despair? Then, take your eyes off your problems—and get your eyes on all the good things God has done in your life. You can even write them down and make a list! You’ll be amazed at all you come up with, and it will serve as a reminder to you in the days ahead. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” (NIV). What does God’s goodness in your life look like? It looks like his blessings of sustenance, balance, resilience, guidance, confidence, assurance, influence, inheritance—and so much more. He makes all of this available to his children because of his grace and his good character. That gives me hope—and it can give you hope today too! “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear.”
1 John 4:18 (NIV) God is a God of radical freedom. In fact, the Bible says, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free” (Galatians 5:1 NIV). What does God’s freedom give you? Over the last few days, we’ve learned that it gives you a clear conscience, direct access to God, and the power to do what’s right. It also gives you freedom from the fear of death. Death is a universal fear, yet it’s a fear that few people want to face. It may be tempting to go through life pretending you’re not going to die. But only a fool would go through life unprepared for what they know is inevitable. Here’s the good news: Jesus came to set you free from the fear of death. Hebrews 2:14-16 says, “For only as a human being could he die and in dying break the power of the devil who had the power of death. Only in that way could he deliver those who through fear of death have been living all their lives as slaves to constant dread” (TLB). The only people who are afraid of God are people who don’t know him. The better you get to know him, the less you’re afraid of him, because God is love. “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear” (1 John 4:18 NIV). How could you fear someone who loves you unconditionally? How could you fear someone who thinks about you more than you do? God knows every detail of your life. He even knows how many hairs you have on your head! So why would you be afraid to go be with him forever? If you know the Lord when you die, you’re not leaving home—you’re going home! You’re going where you were meant to be for all eternity, to “the kingdom [God] prepared for you since the creation of the world” (Matthew 25:34 NIV). Praise God, you can live free! You can live without guilt, able to talk to God anytime and anywhere, free to do what is right, and confident there’s no need to fear death—all because you belong to Jesus. “So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.”
1 Peter 1:6-7 (NLT) You need more than positive thinking to survive in this world. You need hope. In 1 Peter 1, the Bible offers five reasons you can have hope through Jesus Christ. Here are the first four:
Finally, you can have hope because God is preparing you for eternity. God is using everything in your life—the good, the bad, and the ugly—to do so. Once you understand this, life begins to make sense. You stop saying, “Lord, why is this happening?” because you know why: He’s preparing you for eternity. The Bible says, “So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world” (1 Peter 1:6-7 NLT). Those verses describe six truths about problems: Problems are temporary. They won’t last forever. Problems are necessary. They are an indispensable part of preparing you for heaven. Problems are varied. You’ll experience trials of all different shapes, sizes, and levels of intensity. Problems test your faith. You build muscles by testing them. In the same way, when your faith is tested, your faith grows stronger. Problems purify your motives. God is much more interested in your character than in your comfort. He’ll use trials to refine your character. Problems prepare you for your rewards. The trials you’re going through now don’t compare to the rewards of heaven. The troubles you’re experiencing now aren’t fun. They may even be painful. But the Bible makes it clear that they’ll make your faith stronger. Then, your faith will produce perseverance. That’s why you can have hope, no matter what’s going on in your life right now. “You were chosen according to the purpose of God the Father and were made a holy people by his Spirit.”
1 Peter 1:2 (GNT) Many people in our broken world ask why things don’t seem to go right so much of the time. They want to know, “Is there hope?” Hope is essential. You and I need genuine hope—not just optimism. Optimism is psychological; it’s based on the way you think. Hope is theological; it’s based on who God is and his relationship with you. Optimism is positive thinking. Hope is passionate trusting. The book of 1 Peter is a letter of hope. Peter wrote it to Christians who were suffering persecution in the Roman Empire. In the first seven verses of 1 Peter, God gives five roots of radical hope. The first root of radical hope is this: God chose you before you chose him. The Bible says, “You were chosen according to the purpose of God the Father and were made a holy people by his Spirit” (1 Peter 1:2 GNT). Your salvation is no accident. Long before you chose God, he chose you. You were his idea. Before God even created the universe, he decided he wanted to create you. Look again at 1 Peter 1:2. It says, “You were chosen according to the purpose of God.” That means God has a purpose for your life. What is that purpose? He wants to make you holy for heaven. In other words, God has chosen you to spend eternity with him. That’s a big deal! In fact, it’s the highest honor you could ever receive. And it’s the first reason you can have hope, no matter what’s going on in your life. Let this root of radical hope grow down deep in your life: Before you chose him, God chose you to spend eternity with him. “We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
2 Corinthians 4:18 (NIV) God created you to live in heaven with him for eternity. Heaven is your home—not Earth. That’s why you sometimes experience discontentment and dissatisfaction in life. You’re not completely happy here because you’re not supposed to be! If you were totally happy on Earth, you might think you could live without God. But God created you to long for something much better—a home in heaven with him. A fish would never be happy living on land, because it was made for water. An eagle could never feel satisfied if it wasn’t allowed to fly. You will never feel completely satisfied on Earth, because you were made for more. You will have happy moments here, but it’s nothing compared to what God has planned for you in eternity. This is also why some of God’s promises seem unfulfilled, some prayers seem unanswered, and some circumstances seem unfair. This life is not the end of the story. When you realize life on Earth is just temporary, it radically alters your values. Eternal values, not temporal ones, become the deciding factor for your decisions. The Bible tells us to “fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18 NIV). The next time you find yourself longing for more than this life offers you, remember that’s just evidence that you were made for something more! “Things that are seen don’t last forever, but things that are not seen are eternal. That’s why we keep our minds on the things that cannot be seen.”
2 Corinthians 4:18 (CEV) Human beings can handle an enormous amount of frustration, delay, and pain as long as they have hope. But when hope is gone, people give up. Jesus offers the only hope that is eternal. And it is a hope that will never disappoint. But you need the right perspective to understand the hope found in Jesus. That means you don’t just look at what’s going on right now. Instead of focusing on the temporary, focus on the eternal. For instance, pay more attention to God’s Word than the news on your smartphone. Difficulties don’t last. But hope in God lasts forever. The Bible says, “These three things continue forever: faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13 NCV). There's a famous quote from old: “This too shall pass.” It reminds us that no matter what our circumstances are, they are temporary. No problem comes to stay in your life. It will pass. Even if it is a lifelong chronic problem, you won’t take it into eternity. Paul reminds us of this in 2 Corinthians 4:18: “Things that are seen don’t last forever, but things that are not seen are eternal. That’s why we keep our minds on the things that cannot be seen.” (CEV). Your problems won’t last forever. The coronavirus pandemic won’t last forever. Uncertainty with the economy won’t last forever. But there are things in God’s universe that you can’t see that will last forever. Faith, hope, and love will last forever. And if you trust in Jesus, you will be with God forever in eternity. Put your hope in Jesus. “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on the earth." (Colossioans 3:2 ESV). Your hope in Christ will become a hope fulfilled. “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Matthew 5:11-12 (NIV) When we follow Jesus, we will face trouble. It’s guaranteed! You’ll be harassed, persecuted, rejected, and ridiculed because of your faith. But that’s not the end of the story. The Bible says that Jesus endured the torture of the cross “for the joy set before him” (Hebrews 12:2 NIV). You, too, must focus on your future reward if you want to get through your temporary troubles. Imagine the scene at the end of history. Everyone who has ever lived will one day kneel before Jesus Christ. Everyone will say, “Jesus is Lord.” Some will praise him because they’ve done so all their lives. Others will praise him in judgment to themselves because they’ve denied him all their lives. Every professor who ridiculed you because of your faith and every friend who tried to convince you to abandon your faith will one day praise Jesus. Every entertainer who made a mockery of God’s name and every politician who opposed his ways will praise him (Philippians 2:9-11). Everyone will one day bow before Jesus. At that time God will also reward you for staying true to him despite the harassment and criticism you faced for your faith. Jesus said, “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matthew 5:11-12 NIV). Whenever you face persecution, you’re in the same category as Daniel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Moses. Just like those great prophets of old, you’ll one day experience an eternity with God, full of unimaginable joy. The harassment, persecution, rejection, and ridicule you face now for Jesus’ sake won’t compare to the reward of eternity with God. Put your hope in this truth so that when life gets tough, you can endure. “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.”
1 John 1:8 (NIV) Sin always involves self-deception. At the moment you’re sinning, you’re deceiving yourself because you think that what you’re doing will actually produce better results than what God has already told you to do. To stop defeating yourself, you must stop deceiving yourself. You need to take an honest look at your life, face the truth, and deal with the issues. What in your life are you pretending isn’t a problem or you’re not addicted to? What are you saying “It’s no big deal” about? It really doesn’t matter whether you’re shooting heroin or running up your MasterCard, whether you’re reading pornography or a trashy novel—you’re using it all to try to escape your pain and sin. But you’re not going to get healing until you first acknowledge the root of your problem. You don’t have to hit rock bottom before you really change. You don’t have to go the way of destruction. You can admit the root of the issue and then deal with it. When asked, “What’s the biggest problem you encounter?” church counselors will say over and over, “People wait too long before they ask for help. Then it’s almost impossible to turn around.” Most people are in denial about the problem, wait until it’s too late, and then go through unnecessary pain. The Bible says, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8 NIV). What are the hard questions you need to be asking about the sin in your life? What are the warning signs you’ve been ignoring? If you want healing, you need to acknowledge the root of your problem and face the truth about yourself. This is never the easy choice, but it’s always the right one. God is for you and working in you. With his power, you can overcome anything. “With deep love I will take you back” (Isaiah 54:7 GNT).
Do you need a little refreshment in your life? Are you feeling a little dried up? Do you need some revival? Come back to God. You may say, “But you don’t know what I’ve done.” It doesn’t matter who you are or what you’ve done. God still wants you to come back to him. You may say, “Isn’t God going to scold me? I’ve been away from him for months, years, decades.” Here’s what the Bible says God will do if you come back to him: “With deep love I will take you back” (Isaiah 54:7 GNT). God isn’t mad at you. God is mad about you! No one will ever love you more than the Creator who made you. God the Father created you, Jesus the Son died for you, and God’s Spirit wants to live in you. Christmas is proof of God’s love for you. Many people can’t feel God’s love because they’re listening to the wrong voices. If you listen to what other people say about you, you’re going to get down. If you listen to what you tell yourself, you’re going to get down. Stop believing everything you tell yourself, because it’s not all true. You lie to yourself more than you lie to anybody else. You’re not the best judge of you, because your feelings lie all the time. (This is true for all of us!) You have to decide whom you’re going to believe. Are you going to build your life on what everybody else thinks about you? Are you going to listen to what the critics say about you on social media? Are you going to listen to your own feelings? Or are you going to listen to what God says about you, which is the truth? Acts 3:19 says, “Repent therefore, and turn back,that your sins may be blotted out” (ESV). You’re deeply flawed, but you are deeply loved, and you are infinitely valuable. You may have come to the end of yourself and feel like you don’t have anywhere to turn. But there is always Someone to turn to. With deep love, God will take you back. |
AuthorTaken from Daily Hope by Rick Warren. Categories
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