Hope

"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not on so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." ~Romans 5:1-8

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Hope [hohp] noun 1. the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best .

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Last week I would have told you something that I haven't felt in a while. I was hopeless. I was searching out God's will and was feeling like nothing was going to change.... Like Nate and I were patching up holes in a sinking boat and once we would fix one hole, another would pop up.... Was it worth it? Were we helping the situation? What on earth is going on? What is God doing here?

In my quiet times I would write out pages of questions I had about our life, our church, our youth, and so on. What I have slowly been learning is that my hope should not, and is not found in situations at church (thank goodness), my hope is that God's love has been poured out into my heart through the Holy Spirit. I should boast in that! I should brag, have joy and pride in that! I have been letting situations that seem hopeless make me hopeless, when really it is these times that build perseverance, character, and hope.

Do you let hard situations steal your hope?

I am learning to let those selfish, worthless feelings of hopelessness in a seemingly hopeless situation fly away. I don't want to put my mighty God in a box. We serve a huge, mighty, powerful God that loves us unconditionally and there is always hope in that.

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Heal my heart and make it clean

Open up my eyes to the things unseen

Show me how to love like You have loved me

Break my heart for what breaks Yours

Let everything I am work for Your Kingdoms cause