Month: August 2023

Debbie Houston  

Psalm 42:11

¹¹ Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God.

Our theme for this 21 Days of Prayer is “Hope”.

Romans 15:13 ESV. “May the God of Hope fill you with all the joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may be abound in Hope.”

Another version of Psalm 42:11 NLT; “Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God!”

The book of Psalms takes us on a journey through suffering, sorrow, and great joy. It teaches us about God’s eternal love and care for us and how we should trust Him, even in the day-to-day life experiences.           

In this Psalm, David is speaking to himself describing his intense discouragement and loss of hope; even though, he praises God.  

Our hope at times may be shaken but our faith in God’s word, His promises, never changes. 

Through our faith in Christ, our hope is a confident expectation, a firm assurance of things that are unclear or uncertain.

Hebrews 10:25 tells us that no Christian has ever been called to “go it alone” with his or her walk with faith.

This is a reminder of a note penciled in my Bible:  Giving up is the only way to ensure we won’t achieve our goal. At times when things are not working out, we still have to walk it out. When we believe in Christ, every wall becomes a gate.   

Be intentional to seek out other Christian believers, and be in prayer and worship. Remind yourself that this too shall pass. God’s strength can overcome the despair of any pain or trial.      

Prayer:  God, we thank you for your blessing of truth, for your faithfulness, forgiveness, and restoration. Thank you, God, that we find joy, hope, and peace through you.

Susan Moeller

2 Corinthians 4:17-18 NLT
¹⁷ For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! ¹⁸ So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

The more you read the Bible, the more you realize that God’s word is consistent, true, and applicable to YOUR life. The verses about hope often come paired with other themes; themes of faith, joy, trust, and protection to name a few. 

In this particular verse, Paul speaks of troubles but doesn’t linger there. Instead, he points his readers to their insignificance in the grand plan. He doesn’t use the word HOPE, but the point of it is to have hope. Just as Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that God has a plan and a purpose, to give us a future and hope, Paul reassures us of the everlasting glory to come if we focus on what’s important – God!

The words for hope in the Old Testament and the New Testament are different, yet their meanings are similar. In both words, there is no doubt there is only confident assurance! Biblical hope is a reality, not a feeling. In Hebrews 6:19, Paul refers to hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.  There is no doubt in this passage, and that’s consistent throughout God’s Word. Biblical hope is a real thing, rooted in God’s promises; it is a sure foundation on which we can build our lives. Read Hebrews 11 where Paul lists the acts of the heroes of faith that were made possible by their confident assurance and hope that God’s promises were true. If we believe God’s promises to be true, hope through Jesus’ finished sacrifice should give us no doubt about the unseen. 

Have you ever tried the hand experiment? Put your hand in front of your face and look at it…all you really see is your hand…but then train your eyes instead to focus on something behind your hand. Look intently at that thing, and your hand, that solid barrier, will start to get fuzzy and you begin to see what you were focusing on. I think that’s what Paul is trying to tell the people of Corinth…take the focus off the little things. They look large when you focus on them, but when you shift your focus to what you can’t see, the potential or future God has for you, they fade from view and allow you to fulfill God’s plan. 

Consider also Romans 15:13. Certainly, Paul is consistent in his message about hope and how it pertains to our lives. By focusing on our Lord and Savior, we have faith and hope and joy, and so much more! Don’t rely on what you see…looks can be deceiving. Instead, HOPE! “Hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have?” Romans 8:24. 

Don’t focus on where you are and what you’re currently going through, there is no hope in that! Be assured, with no doubt, that God has a plan for you. Although you may not see it, know without a doubt it isn’t fleeting, it’s everlasting!

Prayer:  Father God, You tell us in your Word, I Am!  You are who You say you are and there is no deception in You. You assure us that all of your promises are true, not just for the great heroes of the Bible, but also for us. Like Your chosen people in the wilderness, you want us to trust You and to hope without a doubt for the future You have promised. Help us, Lord, to take our eyes off of the things of this world that distract us from you. Allow us to have hope, a confident assurance that Your plan is perfect for us…then help us to walk in that plan, testifying of Your goodness and truth, restoring hope in others. In Your precious name, we pray. Amen.

Michelle Krause

Colossians 3:1-2 NIV   

¹ Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  ² Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. (I encourage you to read through the entire passage.)

Did you know…

That your brain and your heart are the two most important organs of the human body that are considered vital for survival? God has equipped us for survival on this earth, He’s given us the tools and the instructions, all we must do is trust His word and promises. It’s really that simple.

Notice in the first verse we are to set our HEARTS on things above (Christ) and in the second verse we are to set our MINDS on things above and not earthly things. Here, earthly things refers to our earthly nature, sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed which is idolatry. (v. 5)

As humans we are easily distracted by so many earthly things; movies/tv, social media, shiny objects, food, people, music, sports, news, business. These things can distract us away from Jesus. Sometimes we even place our HOPE in earthly things and other people, this will surely result in disappointment and leave a hole in our inner being (heart) that we sometimes continue to fill with all kinds of earthly things. It’s only Jesus that can fill that hole, for us to find contentment.

When things of this earth are spiraling out of control, where is your HOPE? Just look to Jesus.  HE is our only hope in this world. Set your minds and hearts on CHRIST.

Matthew 22:37/Mark 12:30  

Love the Lord your God with all your HEART, soul, and MIND

Matthew 6:21  

Where your treasure is, there your HEART will also be.

1 Corinthians 6:19 

Honor God with your bodies.

Proverbs 4:23 

Above all else guard your HEART for it is the wellspring of life.

Philippians 4:7  

Peace of God will guard your HEARTS and MINDS.

Prayer:  Father God, thank you for equipping us to succeed in this life and time we have on this earth. Help us every day to set our eyes upon Jesus, Your beloved son. Help us to guard our hearts and minds.  We love You Lord, all praise, honor, and glory belong to You and You alone.  Amen.

Third Day – My hope is you Lyrics

Madison King

Titus 3:4-7

⁴ But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, ⁵ he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, ⁶ whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, ⁷ so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

Have you ever felt run down by the world? Have you ever experienced feelings of doubt, discouragement, or depletion? In the rush of the day-to-day, it can be easy to slip back into a mindset where you feel like you can’t do it all; where you feel like everything around you is falling apart and you simply don’t know what to do or where to go next.

You’re not alone, friend.

The good news is: everything you could ever need can be found in your Father. Dirty, messy, heavy — He wants to hear about all the things that are going on in your life and help you through it. He wants to sit and listen, but even more than that, He wants to take the weight and burden of what you are going through off your shoulders. He wants to remind you that you are never without His love, grace, and support.

When you make the decision to dedicate your life to Christ, you come into a partnership with Him to advance the Kingdom here on earth. This partnership does not mean your life will be easy or without pain, but it does mean that you will always have someone to walk through it with. And all you have to do to receive help is ask.

There is so much hope to be found in the fact that in this partnership, you will share the Father’s love and lead others to experience it too. Over time, you will help more and more people to come to know the hope that can be found in relationship with Him. How beautiful is that? To have the opportunity to share about His love? And as we do so, as we live a life under the authority of God, we find righteousness, grace, and an overwhelming sense of peace, no matter the season we are in. Hold onto that hope, friend — the hope that through it all, you will always have a home to run to in your Father’s arms.

Prayer:  Lord, I come before you today asking for your presence in every moment. In moments of doubt, remind me of who I am in you. In moments of discouragement, remind me I have been created with a unique purpose to serve. In moments of depletion, remind me that everything I could ever need can be found in you. Remind me, Lord. Amen.

Koen Hofstee

Psalm 130:5-7
⁵ I am counting on the Lord; yes, I am counting on Him. I have put my hope in His word. ⁶ I long for the Lord more than sentries long for the dawn. ⁷ O Israel, hope in the Lord; for with the Lord there is unfailing love. His redemption overflows.

Do you ever feel hopeless? Merriam-Webster defines hope as “to desire with anticipation: to want something to happen or be true,” such as hoping that gas prices will go down or your team will win the Super Bowl. Christian hope, though, is made of something different. It is the assurance of what is to come. It is knowing and believing the promises that God made from the very beginning of time in Genesis. Just as in verse 6, as the watchmen wait for the morning, we wait on the Lord, knowing with absolute certainty that he will deliver. Just as the watchmen have no doubt that the sun will rise and morning will come, they will be safe from harm and the light will return. Therefore, hope also builds exceptional patience. We wait for God’s help, comfort, peace, and salvation. We wait for Jesus’ coming down with more anticipation than the watchmen waits for morning. 

But where does our hope come from? How do we get it? It comes from the Lord. He is the God of hope. We can receive it from Him, but He asks us to give that hope back to Him. And that cycle of hope gets stronger and bigger every time you give it back to Him. We can hope in His word. So, a practical step to help us build our hope is to know His word. The more we know God’s word, the more hope we will have in His promises and know what those promises are.

In verse 7 we are commanded to hope. It’s imperative. We should do this. In return, we receive His steadfast love. His love is a love that lasts forever and that you can’t find anywhere else. It is a promise that forever with hope the LORD gives unfailing love. That is a good deal! 

Prayer:  Dear Lord, thank you that You are always faithful and fulfill Your promises. Help us to wait patiently as we hope in what is to come in our lives and in Your kingdom, more than the watchmen wait for the morning. Fill us with Your hope when we are feeling hopeless, so that we may offer it back to You. Thank you that, as we hope in Your word, You love us with Your steadfast, unfailing love and faithfulness. No one loves us like You do, Lord. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Sammy Armstrong

Lamentations 3:22-24 

²² The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;  ²³ His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. ²⁴ “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.”

What first stands out to me is how the verses proclaim that “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, and His mercies never come to an end.”  This means that no matter how far away we stray from God, He will still love us and be overjoyed when we come back to him.

Many of you probably own a dog. Imagine how your dog feels when you leave to go somewhere; they are most likely extremely sad. However, when you return, they don’t care that you left, they are just happy that you returned. This is how the love of God works. We may sometimes go astray, but in the end, He forgives us for leaving. Despite how far we go, God will always love us.

The next line of the passage reads, “They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Think of something that you would want to have brand new every morning. It may be a new car, with no miles, no dents or scrapes. Or it could be your health, where each morning you feel just as good as the healthiest you have ever lived. God’s mercy never wears out, like your car or health. It is new every morning, meaning that regardless of what you did the day before, He still loves you and still has just as much mercy.

The last verse of today’s passage is, “‘The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.”  What does the author mean by hope? Well, the dictionary definition of hope is “to feel that something desired may happen.” In this instance, to me, it means trust. It is trusting that no matter what happens, everything is a part of God’s plan. It is trusting that God knows what is best for you, and that he will always provide for you. Is there something in your life that you need to trust God today to take care of? I think we could all name something.

Prayer:  Let’s pray. Lord, I want to pray that you can guide us through whatever is going on right now in our lives. I pray that we can be reminded about how much you love us, and that we can always trust in you. You will always know what is best for us, and I thank you for always forgiving us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Kyle Hearn

1 Corinthians 15:51-57 

⁵¹ Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, ⁵² in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. ⁵³ For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. ⁵⁴ When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” ⁵⁵ “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” ⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; ⁵⁷ but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

“Worldly Worry vs Heavenly Hope” 

This incredible heavenly hope displaces our worldly worry. What worry consumes you right now? This passage shows us when worries consume us, sin entangles us and death appears to finish us, they do not have the final say! Those are all momentary compared to the eternal victory of immorality that is our hope! What is keeping you from focusing on this today? Pause for a moment and reflect. Is your mindset one of heavenly hope or worldly worry? 

What takes you away from the eternal perspective and toward worldly worry or even towards worldly sin? Romans 12:2 tasks us with renewing our minds to have this hopeful heavenly mindset. Can you imagine living eternally healed, perfect, and sinless through Christ? What else gives you so much hope?! I encourage you to grab hold onto eternal hope, thanking Jesus, because, without Him, we would be like those without any hope. 

Having hope in this, a miracle we can’t fully understand, as to when or how the body-changing miracle happens, takes faith. Hope and faith pair together like two sides of the same coin. Today, will you hope in the unseen things of Christ, not in the things of this world?  Confess to God where worry consumes you and where you’ve put your hope outside of Christ. Jesus wants to replace your worldly worry with heavenly hope. For those who beat themselves up for sinning, Jesus gives victory over sin. For those that fear death, or that there is nothing beyond death, Christ gives eternal life as you trust in Him! Life is moving quickly as we pass on to eternity where our new bodies and new hope await. Are you consumed by heavenly hope now instead of worldly worry? 

Prayer:  Let’s pray. Heavenly Father, I praise you for the miracles you will do in changing me from morality to immorality. I confess I’ve had more worldly worries than heavenly hope and ask you, by your Holy Spirit, to give me more faith. I love and trust you. Show me who needs more hope today that I may encourage them in Christ. Amen.

Maegan Garcia

1 John 4: 13-14 

¹³ This is how we know that we live in Him and He in us: He has given us of His Spirit. ¹⁴ And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent His Son to be the Savior of the world. 

Living in such a corrupt world, I sometimes wonder, or question, am I saved? Is there any hope for me? Especially after all that I have done. The very simple answer is, YES. When you know Jesus and you’ve accepted Him as your Savior, there is always hope. Now, there’s one huge roadblock and you can call him what you want; prince of darkness, the enemy, the adversary, etc. His one job is to make sure that you don’t get to where Jesus wants you, which is eternal life with Him in Heaven. 

When Jesus makes you a promise and when He has a plan for your life, nothing can stop it. Numbers 23:19 says “God is not human, that He should lie, not a human being, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and then not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?” 

The living Word of God is telling us that He’s not going to go back on His word. Which in turn tells us that the enemy cannot stop the promises of God once spoken. Now what he can do and what he will try to do is steal your hope and disrupt your faith in those promises. The prince of lies will whisper to you that God has forgotten you, that there’s no point in waiting, that He’s abandoned you. But just as 1 John 4:13-14 says the spirit of the Lord lives in you. He has connected us with Him. From eternity to eternity, He is God. No one can snatch you out of His hand and no one can undo what He’s done (Isaiah 43:13). 

All our hope in life and in our salvation is placed in Jesus Christ and nothing the enemy can say will stop that. 

Prayer: Jesus, I thank you. For your constant reminder that whatever happens around us, whatever lies the enemy is trying to spew at us that you are the King of kings where the hope of our salvation and refuge is placed. I ask that you take any stronghold that may be holding my mind captive and make them bow in obedience to your authority and that you fill me with your Holy Spirit and that it is the only guiding light in my life. Thank you for your love and your protection. In Jesus’s mighty and matchless name, I pray. Amen.

Janita Goldman 

1 Timothy 4:10
¹⁰ This is why we work hard and continue to struggle, for our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people and particularly of all believers.

To really understand this passage fully, I believe you must read 1 Timothy 4:1-10.  When you read it, you see that Paul is giving Timothy instructions on how to fight the Lord’s battles. Because there will always be false teachers and naysayers about God, Paul is telling Timothy he must work hard and struggle against them. I believe this is a message for all believers.

What I want to share with you is how important hope is to us all. Many times, when the word hope is used in the Bible, it seems to be synonymous with the word ‘belief’. However, whether you believe in the living God or you don’t yet believe, I don’t think you can live without hope.

When we lose hope, what do we have to look forward to? We become frightened, we think we are alone, and we may become anxious, depressed, and lose our desire to live. Who better to put our hope in than Jesus Christ? Jesus came to this imperfect world to show us the way to God, the Father. Jesus taught us how to live, how to trust, and how to believe that we could have a personal relationship with God. Jesus encourages us to trust God.

Before we can give our lives to God, we must have hope. The hope of being accepted, of being forgiven, and of being loved by God. Without hope, we cannot arrive at the place where we can truly believe in the truth of the promises made by God and about God. Hope turns into belief when we become children of God.

It is because I believe that I can hope for others. It is because I believe in an all-powerful, forgiving, and loving God that I have hope that is bigger than worldly hope. I have hope for those people who have not yet turned to God, those who have put their faith in the world. God wants us to worship and praise him, but this is not a one-way street. God also wants us to know and feel his powerful forgiving love. God wants us to turn to him when we are frightened and feel alone. God wants to live in each of us through the Holy Spirit.

Read your Bible and pray for understanding, talk to other believers, talk to your pastor, and go to Bible study. Do not be frightened to admit that you are struggling to hope in the Lord. Every believer started out not having a relationship with God. Yes, sometimes it is difficult to believe but pray to God and ask him to give you the hope you need. Never forget, God loves you.

Prayer:  Lord God thank you that we can always turn to you in hope. I thank you, Lord, that we can trust you to love us. We need only ask and believe that you forgive us for all our sins. Please help us to turn away from sin and hope in you. Amen

Holly Armstrong

Psalm 62:5-6 NLT

⁵ Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him. ⁶ He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken. 

Waiting is not easy and, in our world and culture, it is becoming a lost art. Americans as a society are quite impatient. We no longer want to wait quietly for the person at the red light in front of us to put down their phone the millisecond the light turns green. We no longer want to sit tight for the package to be shipped to our house, for we expect the Amazon delivery person to ring our doorbell the second we select ‘purchase’. We no longer want to wait for our favorite show’s next season to be produced, but we demand Netflix to instantly deliver to us all nine seasons so we can binge happily from our living rooms. We hate waiting, and as a society, we all crave instant gratification and immediate answers.

But, sometimes we are forced to wait. If you are a parent, then you have needed to wait the nine months of pregnancy to meet your beautiful new child. Or, if you are an employee, you have needed to wait after you have worked for two weeks before receiving your paycheck. If you are a student, you have needed to wait for your teacher to grade your exam or essay to learn the grade you received. And we have all needed to patiently wait for our dinners to be cooked each night.

As Christians, we really should practice our waiting skills. With God, we often need to wait.  Praying to our Heavenly Father is like sending Him a text message. We can instantly see the ‘delivered’ and ‘read’ notifications, for He immediately hears us when we speak to Him. But then, we see those three little dots appear on our screen that a reply is being typed. And that’s it. “Well, God? What’s the answer?” we think to ourselves. And it can irritate us to no end, for sometimes all we see for hours, days, weeks, months, and even years are only those three little irritating dots. 

In those times, we need to patiently remember that God hears us. He cares. He IS working behind the scenes. He IS formulating a response. But all we can do is wait. And, we have two choices in the waiting, to be patient or impatient. The impatient ones vomit angry words in God’s direction, just like a quick-tempered driver in traffic. However, those who have practiced the skill of waiting, sit back with HOPE and ANTICIPATION because they know fully well that God’s answer will be perfect and given at the perfect time. And they are given the blessing of peace for their patience.

Prayer:  Friends, my prayer today is that you can experience that peace that comes from placing your hope in a God who cares enough to answer you. He is your rock, your salvation, and you can trust Him to reply. You may just need to sit back and patiently wait.