We must rejoice in the Lord today and everyday of our life because God is promising hope for our future.
What is hope? It's the feeling that what one desires will happen. It's a feeling of optimism.
-"I hope I pass my exam with good grade."
-"I hope I will go to Thailand this summer."
Hope and faith maybe linked to each other but one is quite different from the other. Faith is the substance of things hoped for; evidence of things not seen. Faith is a believing without proof.
Hope connects us with the future, just as memories connect us to the past. We cannot have hope in something we don't desire or expect to have. Because of our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, we tend to know the glory that awaits us in the future. "Christ in us, the hope of our glory"
It is our faith in Christ that makes us to believe that someday we will stand on God's holy mountain and reign with Christ.
We have all lost hope in some sense at one point or the other in our lives. I did. Life can sometimes be difficult and harsh, and there are times we think thing will not get better, but our faith in God gives us the hope that things will get better.
Through the Bible God gives us hope. It gives us hope and peace.
But the problem now some of us have been stubborn to the will of God. Some have been rebellious and some have idols that they worship. God has revealed from time to time how displeased He is about some of our attitudes just like the Israelites. But because of His mercy and grace he still sends us comforting messages of hope.
"There is hope for your future” declares the Lord. Jeremiah 31:17
Jeremiah’s message to the people of Israel shows that God’s plan for His people goes
far beyond punishment to a more fulfilling future. This was why God already said to
His people; "For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)
THE MAN WITH THE BIG PLAN has huge plans for your life and they shall be fulfilled in the name of Jesus Christ. You may be thinking God has no plans for you, but He does. And it is not just any old plan; it’s a plan to give you a good and a prosperous future.
And of course He is more than able to do that.
God says; “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?” (Jeremiah 32:27)
Yes, there is nothing too difficult for the Lord. That is why He is the ALMIGHTY, the All-sufficient God. When we place our hope in Him, He does not disappoint us.
What
plans God has for us?
As we
look deeper into Jeremiah 29:12-14, we will see deeper of His plans:
-- God will listen to you when you call upon Him and pray. When you call someone
you are trying to pass a message across to that person. Calling someone is a
way of drawing the person’s attention. You either want to show the person something
or tell him something. By the time you say; “In the name of Jesus” three times
God the Father knows who is calling. He knows your voice. He is aware that you
are the one knocking on the door because He sees your face. You are inscribed
in the palms of God’s hands, so He can never forget you!
Let me
also say something here; you do not call someone by keeping your mouth shut. It
is the same when you are talking to God. Although God knows who you are and He
knows your need, but He wants to hear your voice.
-- God will make Himself available when you seek Him. How can you find something when you don't look for it? It is the same thing with God. You need to search for Him to be able to find Him. You need to follow Him closely. You need to desire Him with all your heart and you will find Him. When you are diligent in your search and service to God you will know Him deeply.
-- When you find God He will deliver you from captivity. God’s
plan is to deliver you from every form of bondage. God
wants to deliver you from the bondage of sickness. He wants to deliver you from the
bondage of lack and from the bondage of sin. Deliverance
will take place in your life today. God’s
plan is to make sure you are not disappointed. He will turn things around for you. You
can count on Him. No one would have seen nor heard what God has arranged
for you because of His love for you. Once you
know God’s plan for your life, stick to the plan, for there is hope for you when you
do this. Follow hard after God and you cannot miss it. You may not know what the
future holds, but once you know the One who holds the future you have nothing
to worry about. Don’t be
afraid of what you cannot see. It may seem dark, cloudy and slippery now, but
there is hope for your future. Only trust in God.
Trust Him. Have faith in Him.
:)
We do have amazing God, aren't we?! Not just God but also our Father and our Best Friend!!
Keep holding on. There is hope!! There is hope in Him.