NEW HOPE
I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in Him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13 (NLT)
I want to submit to you that every destructive act in the Bible or in your life is preceded by one thing: discouragement. No one says I’m going to leave my spouse. We have the best marriage. No one says I'm going to quit my job; it’s the best job on Earth, and no one says I will find a new church. This one is just too good! We give up on things when we don’t have hope things will get better. David slept with Bathsheba, but did you ever notice when it happened? The Bible says in 2 Samuel 11, in the time when kings normally go to war. What was David? He was king, and you must imagine he’s feeling restless that his men are out there. It was in that season David did a destructive thing. For years, I struggled with an addiction to pornography because I didn’t have any hope things would change. I felt an overwhelming sense that certain things in my life wouldn’t improve, and that discouragement drove me to a destructive behavior. What changed in me? Hope through the Spirit. Hope that I can find deeper peace in this life. Hope that my mistakes didn’t define me. Hope that each day brought new mercies from God!
Lift your eyes up, friends. Lift your eyes to Heaven, for that is where hope comes from. Resurrection life isn’t a one-day event; it’s a right-now thing. Jesus has risen and conquered the grave, and a new hope lives inside you. Don’t look with physical eyes at what you have seen; let the hope of the resurrection life awaken in you. The disciples saw Jesus die with their physical eyes, but if they had looked with spiritual eyes, they would have hope well up within. Let God give you a deeper hope today!
APPLICATION: Take hold of every thought that leads to discouragement in your life.
PRAYER: Ask the Spirit what you are discouraged about. Ask Him to bring that to mind today. Ask Him to give you a hope that new life is available. Spend time asking the Spirit to remind you where He has already shown up in your life!
“… Our Father in heaven…” Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
- What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
“… may Your name be kept holy.” Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
- What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
“May Your Kingdom come soon.” Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
- Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
“Give us today the food we need,” Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
- Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I’m around today?
“and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
- Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
“And don’t let us yield to temptation…” Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
- Is there anywhere I’m vulnerable to temptation?