Hope
I hope I don’t make a fool of myself at work.
Reference: v.3 Israel, put your hope in the Lord both now and forevermore. (TNIV Bible)
Explore: I hope my football team wins on the weekend. I hope the children behave themselves when we are out at a restaurant.
I hope my house is safe during bushfire season. I hope I don’t make a fool of myself at work.
My friend has a daughter called Hope. I wonder what they hope for her life. Do they hope that she grows up to be a doctor or lawyer? Or do they just hope that she will be healthy and happy?
Application: There is much that we can hope for in our world. Some of our hopes may be selfish, some simplistic, while others hold great significance.
Psalm 131 has only three verses in it, but it is a great reminder of what we should put our hope in. “Put your hope in the Lord”.
I think there are times when I put my hope in God, but other times when I put my hope in myself, in money, or in other people. Putting our hope in God, as followers of Christ, is not just a one-time event, it’s ‘both now and forever’.
When we truly put our hope in God then we get some greater clarity on what our future could look like. It may be filled with trouble and sacrifice, however, a future with God continually offers love, grace and purpose.
Prayer: Lord, thank You for being so consistent that we can ALWAYS place our hope in You. May we not be attracted to other delights, but look to our future with You in mind. Amen.
What/Who do you put your hope in?
This article was written by Linda Bailey
Linda started theological studies in 1999 in Australia. After working for ten years in various church ministries, she now works as the breakfast producer at 89.9 LightFM - the Christian radio station in Melbourne, Australia. She writes blogs every day about passages she is currently reading in the Bible. Follow her on Google Plus +Linda Bailey or Facebook by clicking the like button on the right of this page.
1 comment:
I was praying about what to bring to the pantry ministry and God said the one word hope , so I search for devotionals on hope and I’m going to encourage all of those that come in today with this devotional. I always ask if anyone will receive salvation. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on on hope and the scripture. God Bless You keep writing.