Live Hope Minute E-Book

Mark Smeby

• Herausgeber: BroadStreet Publishing Group, LLC
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2017

Seitenzahl: 414

Beschreibung

Become a champion of hope! As we see chaos in the world around us, we want to have hope. But what is hope, and where does it come from? Hope is more than simple optimism that things get better, or a finger-crossed wishing that things go our way. Live Hope Minute explores the life-transforming concept of true hope and how to keep a godly perspective in our current circumstances. Through these short, inspiring devotions: • Your hope will become grounded in unshakeable faith. • Your life will become marked by love that you cannot help but give away. • Your vision will grow and keep you moving toward God and his plan for your life. When you discover true hope, you will find you are building your house on the rock that will not move. Regardless of the storms and challenges you face, you can demonstrate to those around you that life is more than just what we can see or feel. Be amazed at the power and comfort God's hope can offer.

Leseprobe

BroadStreet Publishing Group, LLC

Racine, Wisconsin, USA

BroadStreetPublishing.com

LIVE HOPE MINUTE

Copyright © 2017 Mark Smeby

ISBN-13: 978-1-4245-5567-3 (hardcover)

ISBN-13: 978-1-4245-5568-0 (e-book)

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Unless noted otherwise, Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright © 2000; 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188, USA. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible, © Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. Scripture quotations marked MSG are from THE MESSAGE. Copyright © by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. Scripture marked KJV is taken from the King James Version of the Bible. Scripture quotations marked TLB are taken from The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. Scriptures marked GW are taken from the GOD’S WORD (GW) copyright © 1995 by God’s Word to the Nations. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked AMP are taken from the Amplified® Bible, copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. Scriptures marked LEB are taken from the Lexham English Bible, copyright 2012 by Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.

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Cover design by Chris Garborg at garborgdesign.com

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Contents

Greetings!

JANUARY

January 1: Three Parts of Hope

January 2: Is Hope an Overused Buzzword?

January 3: Are You Struggling to Find Hope?

January 4: Where Do You Find Hope?

January 5: How Do You Demonstrate Hope?

January 6: When It Hurts So Much

January 7: How Do You Live Hope?

January 8: In the Midst of the Darkness

January 9: Christ in You, the Hope of Glory

January 10: Do You Have a Favorite Hymn of Hope?

January 11: If Life Is a Journey, Where Are We Going?

January 12: One of the Most Important Things You Need

January 13: Are You Making Your Own Choices?

January 14: Creatively Showing Hope

January 15: Losing Yourself in a Good Story

January 16: You’re a Star

January 17: Is Life with God a Dance?

January 18: Are You in a Smiling Contest?

January 19: Are You a Prisoner or Are You Free?

January 20: It’s Easy to Point Fingers

January 21: Can You Conjure Up Hope at Will?

January 22: Are You on a Pilgrimage?

January 23: A Long-Distance Race

January 24: One Word Makes All the Difference

January 25: How Much Hope Do You Have?

January 26: Letting Hope Flow through You

January 27: Do You Want to See the Future?

January 28: Tempted to Give Up on Your Dreams?

January 29: Feeling Far from God?

January 30: Fueled by Love

January 31: Tired of Trying to Do Good?

FEBRUARY

February 1: Would You Like to Change the World?

February 2: An Emotion or a Decision?

February 3: Are You a Control Freak?

February 4: One Thing You Can Do

February 5: Living Unbroken

February 6: Hope through Forgiveness

February 7: How Much Expectancy Do You Have?

February 8: Who Is Your Favorite Person?

February 9: Living Hope in Prison

February 10: This Isn’t Our Home

February 11: What’s Wrong with Hope?

February 12: A Surprise Letter of Hope

February 13: Will God Ever Intervene?

February 14: Ever Said You Can’t Do Something?

February 15: Does a Little Child Have Hope?

February 16: Focused on the Future

February 17: Join a Spiritual Movement

February 18: What Defines You?

February 19: To What Is Your Hope Fastened?

February 20: When Someone Gets under Your Skin

February 21: How Often Do You Sin?

February 22: Sunday Comics

February 23: When Are Things Going to Get Better?

February 24: Do You Listen to Classical Music?

February 25: Is It Possible to Change the World?

February 26: Ever Been through a Tornado?

February 27: How Much Television Do You Watch?

February 28: Planting a Hope Garden

February 29: Last Inning and Down by Eight Runs

MARCH

March 1: When Tragedy Strikes

March 2: Finding Hope at Widow Camp

March 3: America’s Most Important Product

March 4: Finding Hope in God’s Promises

March 5: When Someone Is Hurting

March 6: Know Anybody Different?

March 7: Can You Make God Love You Less?

March 8: Patient While Waiting

March 9: Does Your Past Keep You from Hope?

March 10: Hope in the Cross of Christ

March 11: Do Our Pets Show Us Hope?

March 12: Finding Something Missing

March 13: Can Hope Help You Sleep?

March 14: How Is Life a Journey?

March 15: How Do You Greet Each Morning?

March 16: Looking to God with Expectancy

March 17: Fighting against Cynicism

March 18: Responding to God

March 19: Why Is Authenticity Such a Commodity?

March 20: How Timely Is God?

March 21: Been Moved Out of Your Comfort Zone

March 22: Prisoners of Hope

March 23: Hope in Sinfulness?

March 24: Courage to Hope

March 25: What Music Are You Listening To?

March 26: Hope for Heaven

March 27: Trusting God’s Timing

March 28: Bravery in the Midst of Pain

March 29: Escaping Isolation

March 30: Hope in Your Suffering

March 31: Does Your Hope Have Courage?

APRIL

April 1: Hope in Context

April 2: Where Are You Finding Refuge?

April 3: Can You Do What Scares You?

April 4: Love and Boundaries

April 5: Waiting for the Hope Bus

April 6: When You Don’t Believe

April 7: Rest Your Mind

April 8: Do You Need a Nap?

April 9: Ready for a God Promotion?

April 10: Do You Ever Feel Apathetic?

April 11: Hope through Compassion

April 12: Are You on a Journey?

April 13: The Most Powerful Force that Holds Us Back

April 14: Hope Is Found in Relationship

April 15: How’s Your Vision?

April 16: Delighting in the Lord

April 17: What Do You Hope For?

April 18: Follow the Money

April 19: Pointing out Mistakes

April 20: No Room for Negativity

April 21: Hoping without End

April 22: Changing Seasons

April 23: Share in the Sufferings of Christ

April 24: Restoring Relationships

April 25: Children Represent Hope

April 26: No More Head Shaking

April 27: Where Do You Make Your Deposits?

April 28: Hope in Your Church

April 29: Are You a Fan of Superhero Movies?

April 30: Whistling While You Work

MAY

May 1: Are You at a Crossroads?

May 2: Rejoicing in This Day

May 3: Why Is Faith Confusing?

May 4: A Friend in Need

May 5: Filled with Possibility

May 6: Nothing to Worry About

May 7: In a Barren Place

May 8: Life’s Bus Stop

May 9: Trying to Figure Out the Future

May 10: How Are You Waiting?

May 11: Overflowing

May 12: Fighting for Hope

May 13: Purifying Your Hope

May 14: Creeping Hopelessness

May 15: What Is Your Hope Built On?

May 16: How Does Faith Differ from Hope?

May 17: Hope for Our Future

May 18: Close Neighbors

May 19: It’s Okay to Ask God

May 20: Where Do You Turn?

May 21: Why Is Love the Greatest?

May 22: Waiting and Watching

May 23: Hope in a Tree

May 24: What the Doctor Ordered

May 25: Confidence to Speak Boldly

May 26: Hope in Unexpected Places

May 27: Hope for Everyone?

May 28: What Role Does the Bible Play in Hope?

May 29: Keep Your Eye on the Ball

May 30: The Birth of Hope

May 31: Living in the House of God

JUNE

June 1: Let God Worry

June 2: How Can You Hold On?

June 3: Has Hope Passed You By?

June 4: How Much Does God Love You?

June 5: How Is It Going to Turn Out?

June 6: The Motivation of Hope

June 7: Thinking Big

June 8: Dream On

June 9: Living Life Too Small

June 10: Dreaming Too Big

June 11: Incredibly Unique

June 12: Under the Weight of Heaviness

June 13: Hope in Your Workplace

June 14: What Are You Leaning On?

June 15: How’s Your Vision?

June 16: In the Valley of Trouble

June 17: Growing Hope

June 18: Jack-in-the-Box God

June 19: Running with Endurance

June 20: Is God Ever Surprised?

June 21: What Makes You Dance around the Room?

June 22: Giving Love Away

June 23: When You’re Hopeless

June 24: Is Hope Based in Having Good Things Happen?

June 25: Craving Wisdom

June 26: When You Want to Give Up

June 27: Not Having Enough

June 28: Loving without Expectation

June 29: Is Anyone Listening?

June 30: Is the End Near?

JULY

July 1: Waiting for a Harvest

July 2: Eating at the Buffet

July 3: Why Is Hope Such a Big Deal?

July 4: Set Free for What?

July 5: Part of a Bigger Story

July 6: Hold on Loosely

July 7: Hope and Disappointment

July 8: Praying for Hope

July 9: Does Fear Steal Your Hope?

July 10: Earning God’s Love

July 11: Impatience

July 12: Making Your Own Map

July 13: Crossing Your Fingers

July 14: Hope Emerging from the Cross

July 15: Out of Clay

July 16: Look to the Source

July 17: Hope through Prayer

July 18: Grounded in Faith

July 19: Anchor Your Soul

July 20: In the Face of Opposition

July 21: Let Hope Shape Your Future

July 22: Are Your Efforts Making a Difference?

July 23: Talking about Yourself

July 24: Feeling Unqualified

July 25: Hope in Jesus

July 26: Being Brave

July 27: Belonging

July 28: Brave to Serve

July 29: The Role of Feelings

July 30: Being Fully Present

July 31: Faith Like a Child’s

AUGUST

August 1: Doing Good Deeds

August 2: Approval of Others

August 3: Joy and Peace

August 4: Making Progress

August 5: Free to Be Brave

August 6: Enduring Patiently

August 7: Suffering Produces Hope

August 8: Unique Problems

August 9: Love Is the Destination

August 10: Hope of Lazarus

August 11: God’s Plans for You

August 12: Hope in the Dark

August 13: When You Can’t See the End

August 14: “Counting” on Hope

August 15: Push out into the Deep

August 16: Time for a Feast

August 17: Which Body Part Are You?

August 18: Will the Floodwaters Subside?

August 19: Sing Songs to Your Children

August 20: Waiting and Waiting

August 21: Good Things God Has Prepared

August 22: Former Things Pass Away

August 23: Getting Enough Rest

August 24: Stuck in Traffic

August 25: Lavished in Love

August 26: A Better Concept of Happiness

August 27: Do People Notice Your Hope?

August 28: Solving the World’s Hunger Problem

August 29: Having a Vision

August 30: Where Is Your GPS Taking You?

August 31: God Delights in You

SEPTEMBER

September 1: Feeling Alone

September 2: Ravaging Effects of Disease

September 3: Encouraging Courage

September 4: Directing Your Desire to Be Accepted

September 5: The Way to Contentment

September 6: Holding On

September 7: Do Your Mistakes Hold You Back?

September 8: A Ballplayer’s Journey to Hope

September 9: Finding the Target

September 10: Persevere with Certainty

September 11: Follow the Compass in Your Heart

September 12: A Mission Verse

September 13: Loving Yourself

September 14: Headlights On

September 15: An Honest Answer

September 16: A Cup of Hope

September 17: An Invisible Illness

September 18: Let It Ride

September 19: Power in Patience

September 20: Hope in a German POW Camp

September 21: Meeting Our Needs

September 22: Trouble Seeing

September 23: Who Does the Lord Have His Eyes On?

September 24: Lasting Hope

September 25: Hope-Sized Vision

September 26: Showing Up for the Hurting

September 27: Rooted in God’s Love

September 28: Are You Worn Out?

September 29: Finding Hope in the Darkest Valley

September 30: Today’s Blinding Pain

OCTOBER

October 1: Seeing God in the Changing of Seasons

October 2: Growing Life

October 3: A Mustard Seed

October 4: Ready to Give Up?

October 5: A Living Hope

October 6: In Spite of Your Imperfections

October 7: Growing Tired

October 8: Cashing In

October 9: Run without Growing Weary

October 10: Stop You in Your Tracks

October 11: Secured and Protected

October 12: What Is beyond Your Hope?

October 13: Close to Losing Hope

October 14: Because of Love

October 15: Do They Notice?

October 16: The Utmost Courtesy

October 17: Called to One Hope

October 18: Where Is Your Suffering Leading?

October 19: What You Have or Don’t Have

October 20: Helping You Wait Patiently

October 21: How Does the Bible Give You Hope?

October 22: Your Hope Focus

October 23: What Song Are You Singing?

October 24: Glass Half Full or Half Empty?

October 25: Hope Leading to Action

October 26: To Live Hope

October 27: Staring into the Unknown

October 28: When You’re Certain It’s Over

October 29: Living out Your Beliefs

October 30: To Simply Have Faith

October 31: Changing a Person

NOVEMBER

November 1: Within Church Walls

November 2: A Formula for Hope

November 3: Looking for Wisdom

November 4: Hope inside a Rock

November 5: Hungry for More of God

November 6: Hope Underwater

November 7: Vision Adjustment

November 8: The Best about You

November 9: Hope in Grace

November 10: When Life Doesn’t Make Sense

November 11: Stuck in a Tunnel

November 12: What Does God Think about You?

November 13: Figuring God Out

November 14: Wish You Had More Money?

November 15: Outrunning God’s Love

November 16: How Are You Seeing the World?

November 17: How Does Hope Grow?

November 18: Hope Leading toward Peace

November 19: Making You Confident

November 20: Two Powerful Words

November 21: When Gratitude Takes Over

November 22: When You Don’t Get What You Deserve

November 23: Gratitude’s Power

November 24: Say Thank You with Your Life

November 25: Changing People

November 26: In Need of Rescue

November 27: Turning You into Jesus

November 28: Rejoicing in Your Sufferings

November 29: Willing to Wait

November 30: Passing the Time

DECEMBER

December 1: Being Joy to the World

December 2: A Favorite Christmas Carol

December 3: Finding Joy in the World

December 4: Speaking Hope This Christmas

December 5: Hope for the Holidays

December 6: Hope Defeats Cynicism

December 7: Entering Your Darkness

December 8: Why All the Fuss about Hope?

December 9: Joy in Hope

December 10: Sifting through the Rubble

December 11: Honest to God

December 12: A “Why, God?” Moment

December 13: After You’ve Been Burned

December 14: Into the Unknown

December 15: A Different Kind of Story

December 16: A Big Project

December 17: All the Way Through

December 18: Anchor of Hope

December 19: When Chaos Is Swirling Around

December 20: Holding You Steady

December 21: A Beautiful Time of the Year

December 22: Holiday Exhaustion

December 23: Gotta Be Something More

December 24: A Crazy Dissonance

December 25: We Know How It Ends

December 26: When Your Prayers Don’t Get Answered

December 27: Churches Working Together

December 28: Can You Make Someone Change?

December 29: In the In Between

December 30: The Road Is Long and Exhausting

December 31: When You Know It’s the End

Connecting

Notes

Greetings!

I grew up going to church and learned all the right things to do and say. I got good at being good. But it never felt right—even while it appeared to be working for all the happy, firm-handshaking people at church.

I justified my disappointment by thinking I wasn’t supposed to be living for any level of joy in this temporal life, but merely for the eternal next.

Fortunately, I woke up one day and realized my best intentions had turned me into a depressed, fear-driven, score-keeping, self-righteous man, living in glass-bubble isolation, lacking compassion and any idea of what grace was all about. I decided to search for the meaning underneath it all and landed on what I’m calling hope, a word I want to reclaim as the true anchor for our souls—something tangible we can dive into and make our own.

This journey to knowing the essence of hope and exploring how to live it can change a person from the inside out. It’s made my relationships with other people less tangled with expectations and disappointments, my relationship with myself more peaceful and present, and my relationship with God more intimate and stunningly beautiful—which is what I have been hoping for all along.

You are brave for starting down this road.

Here’s to the hope awakening!

JANUARY

Hope says, God, I can see that you’re writing

a grand story in the world and in my life. And I

can’t wait to see what’s going to happen next.

January 1

Three Parts of Hope

I’m on a quest—perhaps you are, as well. I’m really wanting to discover what hope is—you know, beyond the cliché, finger-crossed wishing that I hear a lot of people mention. This quest has uncovered a couple ideas I’d like to offer as what might be an easy way to understand hope.

Hope is made up of three parts—faith, love, and vision. Faith says God is in this—it’s trusting, it’s the knowing beyond knowing; it’s the spirit part. Love is the action—knowing you are loved and then declaring the worth of every single person you meet. This is the heart of hope, its motivation. And vision is looking ahead with desire—it’s the why. It has a goal in mind (“I’m building God’s kingdom”). This vision is what guides us and keeps us living day to day with great expectancy of what God will do.

These three elements, when combined and working together, can guide us throughout this year into a life of hope.

Since we have such a [glorious] hope and confident

expectation, we speak with great courage.

2 CORINTHIANS 3:12 AMP

What additional elements of hope might you add to the formula?

How can you best adopt a posture of hope and live rooted in it?

January 2

IsHopean Overused Buzzword?

Does the McDonald’s Happy Meal really give hope as their commercial suggests? Advertisers use the allure of hope to get us to do what they want. But true hope is deeper than anything a consumeristic transaction could ever promise.

So what is it really, this hope? I want to know true hope—hope that is rooted in something real. But more than trying to define something as mysterious and spiritual as hope, I want to explore what it means to live hope—to actually live life fueled by, driven by, and infused with hope.

Hope says this is not all there is. This pain, this struggle, and these circumstances don’t solely define us. Our story is not finished being written. And, in fact, the best is yet to come.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy

and peace in believing, so that by the power

of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

ROMANS 15:13

Why do businesses and politicians like to use hope as a way to advertise?

How do you define hope?

January 3

Are You Struggling to Find Hope?

As I travel the country, I constantly meet people who are struggling to find hope. Life is difficult for many people. So many of us feel alone, tired, defeated, broken, or victims of our circumstances. We long to have some light break into our darkness, to experience hope amid our pain.

Light can come from a variety of places—from something you read, a phone call with a friend, an inspirational song, a meaningful Scripture, or a stranger’s kindness. That glimmer of light—however small or large—is the first sight of hope and tells a person, I can continue. This is something we can help each other with.

The greatest truth, which I believe to be our great hope, is that we are not alone—that God is with us, Emmanuel.

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign.

Look! the virgin is with child and she is about to give birth

to a son, and she shall call his name ‘God with us.’”

ISAIAH 7:14 LEB

Where do you see the light of hope breaking through?

Who is someone you could reach out to today with a touch of hope?

January 4

Where Do You Find Hope?

Ask anyone where they find hope, and after they struggle to try to figure out what you mean, they may say, “I don’t know.” Some of them may say they find hope in their family or their kids. Some may even say their job or their education or maybe even God. But what would you say?

Hope has a major element of looking forward within it—our vision needs to be placed on something to live lives of hope. And as we choose to keep our eyes on Jesus as the source of hope, the things in the world around us will, as the old hymn says, “grow strangely dim.” As we see more clearly God’s plan for the world and our lives, the old way of living just doesn’t cut it any longer.

If you’re frustrated by how the world keeps letting you down, perhaps it’s time for a hope readjustment.

“And you will feel secure, because there is hope;

you will look around and take your rest in security.”

JOB 11:18

In what ways do the things of this world let you down?

What does it mean for you to put your hope in God?

January 5

How Do You Demonstrate Hope?

I grew up thinking I had to present a picture of perfection to everyone I met, mostly because I wanted people to see the perfection of Jesus in me. I had to smile and show that I had it all together, or, at least, that Jesus had put me all together. It was exhausting! I was missing out on something quite profound about God.

Second Corinthians 1:3–4 says, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles” (NIV). God longs to comfort us in our pain, our struggles, and even in our imperfection. God says, “It’s okay, I’ve got you. It’s okay to struggle, to not be perfect.” That’s good news.

We live hope when we show how God comforts us through our struggles and imperfections.

Even though I walk through

the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

they comfort me.

PSALM 23:4

How does God comfort you during your struggles?

How can you show hope to others through your authenticity?

January 6

When It Hurts So Much

Many people are going through challenging circumstances, whether health related, financial, or relational. Where is hope found in the midst of pain and struggle? Second Corinthians 1:4 says that God comforts us “so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God” (NIV).

Our pain can keep us focused on ourselves and how difficult our circumstances are. Or we can focus on the comfort that God promises to us so we can make it through anything. Then we are better able to share what we have received with other hurting people. Hope is found when you let your pain make you more compassionate to the world around you.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who

comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to

comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort

with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

2 CORINTHIANS 1:3–4

What have you been through that has equipped you to reach out to someone else?

Why is it so easy to focus on our pain rather than God’s promise of comfort?

January 7

How Do You Live Hope?

We all know people who seem to be able to walk around with a great attitude, always hopeful about the days ahead. I don’t know if you’re anything like me, but sometimes I just don’t feel that way. Sometimes I can’t see through the darkness right in front of me, even the very next step. This is why hope is such an important topic for me.

Hope is one of the great promises of God. But it’s also my responsibility—my opportunity—to live in that hope. It’s a choice every day for me to say, “God, I trust you. You’ve got me. And, as it says in your Word, you have a good plan for my life; a plan to prosper me and not to harm me; to give me hope and a future. I accept that for my life, both for today and forever.” That’s when I truly live hope.

“For I know the plans I have for you,

declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil,

to give you a future and a hope.”

JEREMIAH 29:11

Why is hope an important topic for you?

What is a prayer you could pray every morning to commit to living with hope?

January 8

In the Midst of the Darkness

Hope is such a big word with a lot of different meanings for different people. I love hearing from people all over the country about what hope means to them. Mary (Florida) told me that hope is the beautiful unknown, yet it has the strength to get one through. She told me about the day her mom died. She knew it was her time and was grateful she could be with her mom during her final moments.

As sad it is was, Mary said that when the sun rose the next day, there, as bright as could be, was a stunning rainbow in the distance. As she worked to get through all the details surrounding her mother’s passing, the rainbow said, Yep, all is well. I love that so much. Just like in Genesis 9, God’s promise to Noah and his family came through in vivid colors.

“I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be

a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.”

GENESIS 9:13

How do you see hope in the darkness?

Has God provided you any specific signs of his presence?

January 9

Christ in You, the Hope of Glory

Colossians 1:27 says, “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” I’m curious what that means for you. As believers, we know that Christ is within us, that we are, as the word Christian has been translated by some, “little Christs.” It means that we are sons and daughters of God. It means that we can share in the life of Christ, a life that was before time and will always exist. And as C. S. Lewis said in Mere Christianity, “the whole purpose of becoming a Christian is simply nothing less.”

Knowing that I share in the life of Christ, not only in how he lived and loved his Father, but also in his death, and ultimately in his glory and resurrection—this is what gives me great hope.

“Nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold,

the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”

LUKE 17:21

How does Christ in you give you hope?

How does the truth of living forever change the way you live today?

January 10

Do You Have a Favorite Hymn of Hope?

One of my favorite hymns is “Great Is Thy Faithfulness.” A woman from Minnesota wrote it was hers as well. She said, “Over the last year, I have faced many times when I didn’t know how I could go on. … In the third verse of this hymn, Thomas Chisholm writes—strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, blessings all mine with ten thousand beside!”

She continues, “I have prayed this prayer to God so many times and have also prayed it for other family members and friends going through trials. These words and thoughts give me so much peace and comfort, knowing that I’m not doing this on my own but that it is God who gives me strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow.”

Next time you sing this song, remember that you are not alone and that God is strengthening you for whatever you’re facing.

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of

God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting

all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

1 PETER 5:6–7

What is your favorite hymn of hope?

What does it mean for you to have bright hope for tomorrow?

January 11

If Life Is a Journey, Where Are We Going?

As followers of Jesus, we are going somewhere. We are following Jesus to our actual home, which is being prepared for us right now. Hebrews 11 talks about the heroes of our faith and how they admitted they were foreigners and strangers on earth. Verse 14 says, “People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own”—they are longing for a better country, a heavenly one.

I know that feeling—that nagging feeling that things aren’t exactly like they’re supposed to be; that indeed, I’ve been made for another place. We are not there yet, but we are on our way. There’s great hope in the idea that life is a journey, which means your story is still being written. And it’s a good one.

For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is

destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not

made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent

we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling.

2 CORINTHIANS 5:1–2

How does longing for heaven impact your life now?

What’s the best way to engage this world, knowing eternity is coming?

January 12

One of the Most Important Things You Need

I love the idea that we are all on the road to our actual homeland—that we realize we are meant for something more than this temporary, superficial, broken world. But many days are more difficult than we ever imagined. For some of us, leaving the house requires great courage.

Do you know how a runner needs a coach to tell him or her not to give up, to keep training, to keep working out, because it’s all going to be worth it? I’m the same way. I need people in my life to stay in my face, telling me to not give up, to keep pressing on. Let me encourage you with a favorite verse from Hebrews 12:1: “Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”

Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings,

knowing that suffering produces endurance, and

endurance produces character, and character produces

hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s

love has been poured into our hearts through the

Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

ROMANS 5:3–5

How does your hope journey require patience?

What tempts you to give up and quit the race?

January 13

Are You Making Your Own Choices?

We make hundreds of choices each day—to enjoy the ride and see the beauty in the world around us, or to live in a prison of resentment and fear, wishing others would give us the life we deserve. For most of my life, I chose a twisted cocktail of these two. I enjoyed times of beauty and fun that crossed my path. But when times were tough, I thought about all the people who hurt me. I felt miserable most of the time. And I could not figure out why.

Then I realized I could choose. I could live my own life, or I could let other people live it for me. Living my own life means continually choosing hope instead of despair, faith instead of fear, and forgiveness instead of resentment. And it means refusing to let the actions or attitudes of others determine the outcome of my life.

Aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs,

and to work with your hands … so that you may walk

properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.

1 THESSALONIANS 4:11–12

How have you let other people control your life?

Has the blame game held you back in any way?

January 14

Creatively Showing Hope

God has given each of us unique gifts and talents for a couple of reasons. First, we can experience significant joy in the expression of our talents. And secondly, our talents can to be used to bring life and hope to the world around us.

Personally, I believe music can change a life. If we hear a certain song at a certain moment, something powerful can occur. That’s what I hope to be a part of with the music I make—creating moments where people who are just about to give up hope don’t. Or people who feel completely alone realize they aren’t. To be a part of that is perhaps the greatest honor I could attain.

The possibility that somehow, somewhere, someone will be encouraged or inspired to take one more step on their own journey allows me to keep pushing forward.

Therefore encourage one another and build

one another up, just as you are doing.

1 THESSALONIANS 5:11

How have you been impacted by someone else’s creativity?

In what ways have you been uniquely equipped to show hope?

January 15

Losing Yourself in a Good Story

Are you enjoying the story God is writing with your life? A good story lived over several chapters can be a great example of redemption and hope. Have you ever read a book like this? Sure, you can find all kinds of books written specifically about hope. But that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about a real page-turner—a book you just can’t put down.

For me, losing myself in a wonderful book is one of the great joys of life. The author has managed to create a scenario where I can’t wait to see what’s going to happen next, and I trust that reading the whole book is going to be worth it. This is what it’s like to live a life of hope.

Hope says, God, I can see that you’re writing a grand story in the world and in my life. And I can’t wait to see what’s going to happen next. But more than anything, I know that it’s all going to be worth it in the end.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart,

and do not lean on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make straight your paths.

PROVERBS 3:5–6

How is God writing a grand story with your life?

How can you live with anticipation for what God is doing next?

January 16

You’re a Star

There’s a song by Coldplay called “Sky Full of Stars.” I find that interesting, considering Philippians 2:15, which says, “Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky” (NIV). If you get a chance, find the darkest place you can, away from any city lights, and sit in awe of the brightness of these glistening diamonds held up by the hand of God. Not only can a starry night be a breathtaking sight, but it’s a great analogy.

I find great hope in seeing the family of God as a “sky full of stars.” We live in a dark world, but the light of Christ is shining through us. Matthew 5:16 says, “In the same way, let your light shine before others. that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (NIV). You can show bright hope to the dark world by letting the light of Christ shine through you.

But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,

which shines brighter and brighter until full day.

PROVERBS 4:18

In what ways do you let the light of Christ shine through you?

How do we shine as a family of God?

January 17

Is Life with God a Dance?

I just read how author Jean Rhodes wrote about the word guidance, how she kept seeing the word dance at the end. And then she saw g, u, and i at the beginning and thought, God, you and I dance. Cool, huh? She says, “When two people try to lead in a dance, nothing feels right. When one person realizes that and lets the other lead, both bodies begin to flow with the music. The dance takes surrender, willingness, and attentiveness from one person and gentle guidance and skill from the other.”1

Are you looking for hope in the midst of your circumstances? Let me encourage you that God is with you, with his gentle hand of grace, love, and comfort wrapped around you. He is guiding you. And he’s never going to let you go. Even if you feel like he has, the truth is that he hasn’t. Hanging on to this is how you start dancing to the song of hope in your life.

Your word is a lamp to my feet

and a light to my path.

PSALM 119:105

How do you feel God leading you?

How can you increase your attentiveness to how God is leading your dance?

January 18

Are You in a Smiling Contest?

As a kid, I was taught to smile big all the time, that my happiness would be the way to attract people to Jesus, because “you might be the only Jesus some people ever see.” This is true, but to be honest, I didn’t always feel happy, and I didn’t always feel like smiling. Maybe you feel the same way.

I had to get to a place where I was so convinced of God’s unconditional love for me that I couldn’t worry about what other people thought about me. Trusting that God’s love would overflow to others—and more than happiness or a big smile, others would know that they are loved by God, regardless of what they think or feel. Jesus knew he was loved by his Father. As we that soak in, hope will come alive in ways we’ve never imagined.

“If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my

love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and

abide in his love.”

JOHN 15:10

Why is there value in putting on a happy face even when you don’t feel like it?

How can you abide in the love of God?

January 19

Are You a Prisoner or Are You Free?

If Christ came to set the captives—you and me—free, why do so many people still live as if they’re in prison? Probably because it’s difficult to know how to live like a free person. This means that I’m free to be loved by God and by others, and, in turn, I’m free to show that same kind of unconditional love to others.

Here I am today, telling you that you are free. You no longer need to be imprisoned by your past or held captive by the unknown future. You are free to live today, completely loved, perfect in God’s eyes because of his Son. Now it’s your chance to live hope by telling someone else this good news.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

because he has anointed me

to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives

and recovering of sight to the blind,

to set at liberty those who are oppressed,

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

LUKE 4:18–19

How have you been held back from freedom?

What does true freedom feel like?

January 20

It’s Easy to Point Fingers

Society likes to push people to the margins. We see those who aren’t living like us and look for ways to live without them interfering in our lives. For anyone who has ever been pushed aside, told you weren’t good enough, or made to think that because you might be different, there is something wrong with you—this is for you. Jesus continually went after the outcasts, the ones the religious people were marginalizing and pushing to the side. These are the ones Jesus chose to spend time with.

If this is something you’ve experienced, I’m sorry. You are uniquely qualified to show hope to the world. Because you know what it’s like to be marginalized, look around you to find others who have been pushed aside and demonstrate the love of Christ by showing the compassion you’ve been uniquely trained to offer. That is living hope.

“What man of you, having a hundred sheep,

if he has lost one of them, does not leave the

ninety-nine in the open country, and go after

the one that is lost, until he finds it?”

LUKE 15:4

What prevents you from connecting with people different from you?

How have you been uniquely equipped to minister?

January 21

Can You Conjure Up Hope at Will?

I hear the word hope swirling around all over the media and in daily conversations. It seems to make people come alive, to perk up, to give people a little spring in their step. But it remains a bit intangible. I’m on a quest to understand more what it really means to have hope—to live hope.

I’m convinced that hope isn’t an emotion. Even though we tend to describe it in terms of being an emotion, hope is a posture—I can choose to look at all of life through the lens of hope. I don’t have to wait until a particular circumstance clears up or the weather gets better or I get some money in the bank. It is not rooted in circumstances or in fear, failure, or even success. I can choose to have hope today.

But this I call to mind,

and therefore I have hope:

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;

his mercies never come to an end;

they are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.

LAMENTATIONS 3:21–23

How do you choose to live hope, despite your circumstances?

If having hope is a choice, is hopelessness also a choice? Why or why not?

January 22

Are You on a Pilgrimage?

I love the poetic imagery invoked by the word pilgrim—though I don’t mean turkeys, knickers, or buckles on wide-brimmed hats. We are all familiar with the pilgrims of Thanksgiving fame who sailed from England to the New World in 1620 to live in religious freedom. We even celebrate their arrival with an annual celebration of football and turkey.

Webster’s defines a pilgrim as someone who journeys in foreign lands, someone who undertakes a pilgrimage. This is traditionally a visit to a place of some religious or historic significance; a considerable distance is often traveled. We are all on a great journey—one that has religious significance. Jesus said, “In my Father’s house are many rooms. … I go to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2). While there are days this world seems crazy, I find great hope knowing this world is not our final home, but we are on our way there.

I press on toward the goal for the prize

of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

PHILIPPIANS 3:14

What tries to steal your hope along your journey?

Who is someone you could encourage today that may need some hope?

January 23

A Long-Distance Race

Have you ever run a 5K, or perhaps a half marathon? A few years back, I signed up for a half marathon in Chicago. I wasn’t a runner; in fact, I hated running. I set out on the twelve weeks of prescribed training and did my best to do everything the experts said to get prepared for the 13.1 miles. I learned a ton about myself over the course of those three months.

I learned that nearly all the limits I place on myself are set in my head, not in my body. I learned that if I set my mind to something, I can do it. But it took training, patience, and great hope. My hope was based in the fact that no matter what happened during the training or the race, I would get something valuable out of the experience. Without hope, I never would’ve finished.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of

witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which

clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race

that is set before us.

HEBREWS 12:1

What is something meaningful you could work toward?

What limits have you placed on yourself?

January 24

One Word Makes All the Difference

Most people are aware of how various Bible translations use different words to communicate the meaning of a verse. Terry from Pennsylvania sent me the verse that he says gave him hope through the darkest hours: Isaiah 40:31. I learned the verse as, “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength.” But the version Terry sent me said, “Those who hope in the LORD …” (NIV).

This version changes the verse from a passive waiting, like you’re waiting for a bus, to a more active expectancy. Having hope in the Lord implies a focus and direction, a heart and mind-set. And it seems to fit more with the action implied in the rest of the verse: “They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (NIV).

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you,

for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore

I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses,

so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

2 CORINTHIANS 12:9

Do your weaknesses allow God’s power to shine through?

How does hope give you strength?

January 25

How Much Hope Do You Have?

If I were to ask you, On a scale of one to ten, what is your hope level? what would you say? Some may say a ten and then give me a high five; some may say only a one or two. Your capacity for hope is connected to how intimately you believe God is involved in your life. Journalist and author Norman Cousins said, “The capacity for hope is the most significant fact of life. It provides human beings with a sense of destination and the energy to get started.”

If you are looking for a way to increase your hope level, try reading in the Bible how intimately God was involved in the lives of his people. Ask another believer how intimately she feels God is involved in her in life. And then ask God how intimately he wants to be involved in yours. Tell him how much a part of your life you’d like him to be. I’m convinced you’ll see hope show up in these beautiful moments of honesty.

Even though I walk through

the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me.

PSALM 23:4

How does God show up in your life in intimate ways?

How can you increase your hope level?

January 26

Letting Hope Flow through You

If I asked you if you’d like to be a vessel of hope, I’m sure you would say, “Of course!” But if I asked you how to do that, it might be difficult to come up with an answer. This is why so many Christians are discouraged today—they rarely see hope show up in their lives. So what’s the answer?