Month: August 2023

Karen Clark

Psalm 147:11
¹¹ but the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His steadfast love.

The promise given in this verse is grounded in God’s love for us. His chesed – His kindness and mercy – His steadfast love – is what gives us the grounding that we need for tough times. His steadfast love is mentioned so many times in the Psalms. It is God’s character, a love that does not fail or give up. It is a love that is not dependent upon our faithfulness. It is WHO God is. Faithful. THAT is what we can hope for. 

What is our role in this hope? It is to fear Him. Not be afraid of Him, but to give Him His rightful place in our lives, and to show respect, reverence, and honor to Him as God. This is what He takes pleasure in! When we give God His rightful place, we have hope, certainty, and the rest in His unfailing love!

This does not mean we have to struggle, to be strong, to “work” to please God. He is not looking for great strength or power (His delight is not in the strength of the horse – v.10), but for those who put their trust and hope in Him. That is the “BUT” in this passage!

How does that translate to my life today? It is acknowledging who God is, holding my hands open to allow His work to be accomplished IN me and THROUGH me. It is knowing that His love will not fail, despite my weakness or failures. It is being true and faithful to Him, in everyday decisions and activities. Then, I can proclaim with the hymn writer: 

Not to the strong is the battle,

Not to the swift is the race;

Yet to the true and the faithful

Victory is promised through grace.

Prayer:  Father God, I hold my hands open to receive Your steadfast, unfailing love today. Work in me. Work through me. May all that I do and say reflect my love and trust in You. Amen.

Heidi Tringali

Romans 12:12
¹² Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

I vividly remember the day my mom was diagnosed with cancer. Although many of my friends had traveled the same journey, I had no real understanding of their pain, fear, or sadness until I experienced it myself. We must feel and experience some things firsthand to truly grasp their magnitude. Major life events like the loss of a loved one, an unexpected diagnosis, a broken marriage/relationship, betrayal, or the loss of a job strip us down to a raw, helpless place that perfectly aligns us to turn to God for hope, patience, and faith. 

Every life experience we have is a refining process performed by the gentle, loving hand of God. Although it may not always feel gentle or loving, we, as Christians, place our hope in a God who is our consistent provider and protector. That truth allows us to truly find joy in hope, even in our darkest times. 

Patience doesn’t develop when things are going smoothly. It is through the trials of life that patience is perfected. When we are in a tough season, God calls us to be patient. Why? Because patience is a key ingredient to all good things and God desires good things for us. 

Prayer doesn’t always have to be a formal, on your knees, bow your head moment. Prayer can be more like an ongoing conversation with your bestie. Faithful in prayer means choosing to pray first and often. It is the quiet time driving in your car when you see something God specifically set out for you and you thank him for it. It is that moment when you are scared or uncertain and you cry out to him. It is when you are bursting with pride and choose to give him all the glory. 

One of the byproducts of challenging times is that they equip us with a new perspective that makes us better people. Whether we are in a tough spot or a routine moment, we can be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer. 

Prayer:  Thank you, Lord. Thank you for the tough times and the easy times and mostly thank you for your word that continuously prepares us for the glorious day we will see You face to face. Until then, thank you for the guidance of Your gentle hand that allows us to be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer. In Jesus’s name, we pray. Amen.

Isaiah 40:31

³¹ but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint.

Wait, wait, wait! This seems to always be something we are doing. When we are young, it is waiting for a driver’s license. As we get older, waiting for graduation, a spouse, a job, whatever is next in life. It seems we are always wishing our lives away for the next best thing or for whatever is coming next. In our passage, our hope is not in what is next, or the next best thing. It is saying, “Stop, hope in the Lord to renew and give you strength.” Too often we are in such a hurry, we don’t wait on the Lord. We want it in our time and in our way and we wonder why we are tired, worn out, and lack hope. Isaiah is saying when we wait on the Lord, when we stop, He will lift us up. Where is our hope? In Him or in the world around us and our busyness? Are we always looking to move on? Always running?

Look at what the Lord promises when we stop and rest, placing our hope in him and not our own strength or the world’s. He will refresh us – and lift us up. It is our hope in Him that will renew us when we want to give up on life, in our struggles, and when we are tired. When we wait in the Lord, we will not be tired, and we can walk through anything. This doesn’t mean we won’t be physically tired or weary, but that God will give us strength to be able to carry on. It won’t always be easy, but He will renew us when we place our hope in Him. 

Let’s look to the Lord as our renewer and giver of life, where we place our hope. We need to pray for this day in and day out, because the burdens of life will overwhelm us if we don’t place Him first.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I want to rest in you, to put my hope in your renewal. Help me to seek your face when I lay down and rise in the morning. When I am tired and worn, renew me, lift me up, and help me know that I can carry on because of your strength, not under my own power. Thank you, God, for you are my hope… not the world around me. Amen.

Erin Lindler

Matthew 11:28-30

²⁸ Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

In this passage, we read about a promise from God. He’s telling us to come to Him with our pain, mistakes, and burdens we carry and He will provide us with rest. That is a promise that I have faith and hope in. Christ knows that walking in this life is not easy. That we will face trials, tribulations, and temptations all along the way. Even Jesus was faced with temptation, but He had hope in His Father. He states that we are to take His yoke upon us because He is gentle and humble at heart. That’s another promise from Him. By saying He is gentle and humble at heart, we know that we will not be judged by our mistakes. Just like when Jesus died on the cross for our sins, this passage says that by taking His yoke, our burdens are now light. 

As followers of Christ, our main burden or worry in life is to expand God’s kingdom and through this passage, He is telling us to let Him worry about the rest. By sharing this scripture, we have the power to provide freedom from our past and hope for a better future. That we can walk in life with Christ and find rest in Him. 

I know when we are in the midst of all life has to throw at us, that it can be hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Having hope in Jesus is that light. He is the rest we are looking for. How amazing is it that we are able to share this word with others? We are able to tell anyone struggling that God’s got you. It might be a simple phrase but why overcomplicate God’s promise? This promise is not a closed invitation. It says, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens.” God’s kingdom is not closed to anyone, He is calling all of us to Him.

Prayer:  Dear Lord, I pray that all Your children hear this message of hope. That we all lay our burdens at your feet and find rest. You are the ultimate protector and provider. I lift up anyone struggling with any burdens in life. That they take your yoke upon them to ease the pain. I pray that this scripture and devotional are able to provide hope for a lighter path ahead. It is in your holy name we pray. Amen.

Valentina Barnes

Romans 15:4

⁴ For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.

Reading the passage Romans 15:4, I reflected on what hope means for a Christian and what it is based on. I also thought about how much the promises in the scriptures have helped my life. The first thought that came to my mind was Jesus, and then I asked myself the question, “What is the main hope of a Christian?” It is knowing that Christ already gave victory on the cross. How do we know this? We know it through the scriptures and the revelation that the Holy Spirit gives us through them. The Bible is the word of our Father written on paper; it is a divine gift for his children. 

When I was writing this devotional, the Lord led me to think about going on a road trip to a new place in which I have great expectations because I have heard positive and beautiful things about that place. But since it is a new destination, I have no idea how to get there. So, I would need a GPS to guide me in the right direction. A GPS guides us, it was created and prepared before we started the trip and it will guide us along the best path. It avoids places with a lot of traffic, it indicates the time of arrival, and even warns us of car accidents. Some GPS systems tell us where there may be police or if there is any adverse weather. But it promises to get us to the right place and this led me to think that the Bible is the GPS of our life. The Bible is how we get to the right place in the best way. Although the path is not 100% clear to us, it is already written in the Bible and it continues to guide us to reach our destination. It brings us to where our hope is, which is eternal life. The Father took care that every word in the Bible was written with a reason, and we must remember that as Psalms 119:105 says, it is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path.

Prayer:  Father, thank you for your word! I ask that it be You giving us hope and through that, Your Holy Spirit fills us with patience and joy while we go down the road in which You deliver truth to us, guide us, and give us consolation, in the name of Jesus. Amen!

Stephen Moeller

1 Peter 1:3-4

³  Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy, He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,  ⁴ to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,

What is hope? What is the hope in this passage? and why is it living?

Hope is much like waiting. There is an anticipation for something to happen or for a promise to be fulfilled, it is something to look forward to and to focus on. In Hebrews 11:1 there is a definition of faith that describes our faith as the assurance and confidence of that which is hoped for. Faith goes hand in hand with hope. Therefore, this “living hope” is a foundation for our faith and is simple to find. In fact, God, through Peter, dictates about it in verse three and elaborates on it later in the complete chapter. He thanks God for sending us Jesus and for the mercy needed to send Jesus to a sinful world. He says God has CAUSED us to be born again because Jesus died and defeated death. Here is the hope; we have the choice to have an intimate relationship with our God which leads to new life. I will put it this way, if Adam’s choice was what led to death through sin and separation, our choice to accept Jesus as our perfect sacrifice and savior is our way back into relationship with God. The choice is now up to us. Our God wants a relationship with us; He wants us to come to rest in Him. Even greater than resting, He wants us to hope in Him every day, bringing a foundation to our faith. Jesus defeated the death of sin so that we would have this hope. In our sinful and broken world, I find my ONLY peace and solitude comes from the hope in the one who saved me from death. The phrase I often remind myself with, for hope, is “I can go back to God ”. I don’t use this phrase for a “free pass” to not turn from my sin, but instead use it because it is true. My only hope from the sin I live in is Jesus Christ, along with the victory He accomplished that I could not. That is a living, undying, freeing hope.

Prayer:  Father God, great are You to bring us hope in our world. Thank You for being so steadfast that we can have peace, freedom, and rest within Your presence. My confidence and prayer is that we can always look to You for hope, and that we will continue to wait on You. We pray not only for the continuance of waiting, but also to grow in our assurance in what we hope and know You’ve promised. Thank you, God. Lord, I pray that we would be able to live within this living hope, so that not only those close to us would see and experience hope but those not close, and not only those who are not close but those who are enemies to us or who have set themselves apart from You so passionately. Thank you, Jesus, for saving us and for giving us the opportunity to know You, Lord. All this in Jesus’ name it will be so. Amen.

Peter Kruzan

Psalm 25:5 NIV
⁵ Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.

Do you remember a time when the world suddenly began closing in on you? When feelings of fear, confusion, frustration, despair, or possibly even anger, hijacked your mind? Have you tried to make sense of the incomprehensible? At times like these, some collapse and retreat while others lash out like a wounded animal. The Psalms are full of examples of deep heartfelt cries for help and, in the Psalmist’s words, at times I hear my own heart being expressed.

The Psalmist’s request for guidance flows from a need to be taught and directed in truth. One might think that life can be mastered as you age, but my experience has been more of coming to a deeper understanding of my own inadequacy and reliance on God’s shepherding.

Fortunately, God is not discouraged by my growing awareness of my reliance on Him. In fact, Scripture speaks of a profound spiritual intimacy; a depth of relationship that God designed us for, and not a rugged individualism that our culture preaches. From the very beginning, God wanted to walk with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day, sharing a deep and meaningful relationship. It was Satan who wanted to disrupt that connection with doubt and self-reliance, rebellion, and separation. God certainly sees and understands what we do not, and He is waiting expectantly to share with us! Do we believe in God’s character and trust in His promises?

As I call on His name, resting in His power and grace, and listening to His instruction, I find hopelessness losing its grip on me and being replaced with a smile – hope taking root! If you have found this to be true in your life, take time today to share your Hope with others!

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, I praise you for revealing yourself to me. Your character, power, and promises are well documented in your word and your saints bear witness to your wisdom and faithfulness. Guide me today and always because I desperately need your wisdom and presence. Give me the courage to share your Hope with others in need of your Peace. Amen.

Lee Davidson 

Hebrews 10:23  

²³ Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.

Becoming a mother at a young age, working a full-time job, and going to school full-time was overwhelming. I was a Christian, but I had fallen out of faith. I had lost hope. I lost hope in family, friends, and life in general. I was uncertain about how life was going to look for my child and me. It felt like I was just existing with no purpose other than being a mother. It wasn’t until my grandmother encouraged me to start reading my Bible again, that I started to remember my salvation as a believer in Christ. I realized that my hope was no more than wishful thinking and I was placing my hope in the world and not in Christ. I quickly shifted my perspective and started living boldly and confidently in my hope in Christ.

Many believers today forget that our hope is in Christ. Although we can’t see it, we can be full of hope. Hope assures us that we can be confident in Christ. One part of this verse that stands out to me are the two words, “hold fast.” To “hold fast” is to resist the pressures of anything that tries to take us away from Him. We should embrace the confidence that we have in Christ. We have hope in Christ because he is faithful and keeps his promises. The other word that intrigued me was “confession.” The King James version translates this word “confession” to “profession.” That means we can help other people have hope by professing the hope we have in God’s promises!

Today I want to encourage you to have hope no matter the circumstance you find yourself in. Trust in God produces obedience, which produces hope, which results in joy and peace, and that is the power of the Holy Spirit. Our future as Christians is full of hope because we believe, have faith, and trust in God’s plan for us! He is our good, good Father and we can rest in assurance of that!

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, we praise you for your steadfast love for us! Lord, I pray that we will remember to hold fast to your promises. I pray that you will fill us with hope and that we will resist anything that tries to take us away from you. We praise you Lord for you are faithful and keep your promises! I pray, Lord, that we will go boldly into the world professing the hope we have in your promises. We pray this all in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Justin Harris

Psalm 119:114

¹¹⁴ You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word.

A shield involves an active stance, typically a defense posture in battle. A refuge is a hiding place, somewhere safe. While these two concepts are different, they have one thing in common – they are reminiscent of a loving father. David knew he could run to his Heavenly Father (refuge) and no weapon formed against him shall prosper (shield). That’s who God is and who He’s always been. You can run to Him when in distress or when you feel like the world has turned its back on you. David was a fierce warrior and a king yet even he needed a place of refuge and protection. He needed God just like you do.

God is a firm foundation and we are blessed to call Him Father just as Jesus did. We did nothing to earn His love, yet He gives it freely. He loves us unconditionally – there’s nothing you can do to earn more love and there’s nothing you can do to be loved less. He loves you more than you can fathom. So, how shall we respond? By putting our hope in His word. Whether you are a new Christian or you’ve been doing this faith thing for 30+ years. There is always something new to learn about God and His will. When you don’t understand or you’re going through trials – turn to His word. 

Prayer for the Believer: You are so good and You’re worthy of our praise. Thank you for Your loving arms that protect us and provide refuge. We ask that You renew our minds and place a new longing for Your word within our hearts. 

Prayer for someone who hasn’t accepted Jesus into their heart: Jesus, I know that I cannot do this on my own. I choose You. I give myself to You. Restore me, Jesus. Live in me. Love through me. I receive Your forgiveness and ask You to take Your rightful place in my life as my Savior and Lord. Come reign in my heart, fill me with Your love and Your life, and help me to become a person who is truly loving—a person like You.

Charlotte Harris

Romans 5:3-4

³ Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴ perseverance, character; and character, hope. 

So let me get this straight. The Apostle Paul wants us to actually be happy about suffering? Well, not exactly. Let’s unpack that. Notice how this verse says “in” and not “because of”. We learn much during times of suffering and that, in turn, makes us stronger. We aren’t content in the suffering, but we know that through the suffering, we will build strength, endurance, and perseverance. Just as a baby learns to walk, the child must fall down. We aren’t happy that the baby fell, but we can hold on to the hope that the baby is getting stronger through each step, and even each fall. 

God will never leave us. Throughout each trial, struggle, temptation, time of darkness, and beyond, He is there. We can reference the Bible in so many ways about this topic, and I think of the story of the three men in the furnace from the book of Daniel. When King Nebuchadnezzar demanded that everyone bow down and worship his god, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused. The king had them bound and thrown into the furnace. Instead of seeing three men burning alive, four men were seen walking around in the fire. Who was that fourth man? It was our Lord. The same one we serve today. He never left them, and He will never leave us.

The perseverance we build in times of suffering will help us to develop a Godly character. You see, suffering is never wasted when we allow ourselves to lean into God during those times. Out of the suffering, I will have a greater hope, a greater faith, and a greater trust in the Lord.

Prayer:  Father God, thank you for standing with me through each fall. I know that you are with me in every trial. You help me to build strength through allowing me to go through difficult times. Thank you for showing me Your glory through it all. In Jesus’ name, Amen.