Romans 15:13 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. ESV
Come to the table of the Lord and nourish your faith even in times of difficulty. Especially in times of difficulty.
Your faith is the substance of things hoped for. Well-nourished faith develops enduring hope.
Psalms 23:5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies… NIV
Adversarial circumstances are just a normal part of living in this fallen world. Stop asking for easy and get into a fighter’s frame of mind. In our fallen world we look to our Risen King!
Babylon invaded Israel in the 6th century and things were very bad. Ezekiel is called and anointed by God to deal with this devastation:
Ezekiel 37:3-10 He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I said, “Sovereign LORD, you alone know.” 4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD!...7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them. 9 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath…So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army. NIV
Ezekiel can these bones live? God was asking this question because Ezekiel‘s level of hope had an influence on what God would be able to do. Can your dead situation live? Can your financial situation live? Can your marriage live? What you believe about your situation actually has the power to limit what God can do.
If we don’t believe things can get better something within us begins to die. This is why a well-nourished faith and an enduring hope matters so much!
The problem is a problem but hopelessness about the problem is actually a greater problem.
So often people live shipwrecked lives with disoriented conclusions. Any area of your life that does not have hope is under the influence of a lie. Hope energizes us. Hope is the belief that the future will be better than the present, and that we have the power within us to make it so.
Romans 15:13 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. ESV
As we get our beliefs right hope rises and we no longer live our lives under the influence of lies.
Everywhere we go….
We Bring GP2RL Action Point:Rehearse truth and hope this week bringing every area of your life under the influence of God’s Word.
Psalms 118:13-14 I was pushed back & about to fall, but the Lord helped me. The Lord is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation. NIV
Jeremiah 1:19 They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the LORD. NIV
Isaiah 43:2 “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you...NIV (Peace comes from the presence of God not the absence of problems.)
2 Thessalonians 3:5 May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance. (NIV)
1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of the faith... NIV (Get in a fighter’s frame of mind and stop asking for easy!)