How to Get Hope Again

 

 “…Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Romans 4:7

” … even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32

“I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake. 1 John 2:12

These verses and others place God’s forgiveness of us as a finalized deal which needs no asking or beckoning.

But, forgiveness could rest beyond our conscious awareness, outside of our hope;

Nevertheless, never beyond faith’s perceptive enablement.

Romans 8:24 speaks,” For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?”

Proverbs teaches, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick.”

But Abraham, “against hope believed in hope” because, “faith is the substance of things hoped for.”

Delitzsch reminds us, “Better is he who begins to help than he who remains in hesitating expectation…”

So we have the dilemma of faith and hope.

Dale Archer M.D. writes in psychology today “If I could find a way to package and dispense hope, I would have a pill more powerful than any antidepressant on the market. Hope, is often the only thing between man and the abyss. As long as a patient, individual or victim has hope, they can recover from anything and everything.

However if they lose hope, unless you can help them get it back, all is lost.

“One thing I can tell you is that hope is an emotion that springs from the heart, not the brain.”

Hope lays dormant until it’s amazing strength is beckoned, supplying a sheer belief that you will overcome, you will persevere and you will endure anything and everything that comes your way.  “Hope is the belief that circumstances will get better. It’s not a wish for things to get better — it’s “the actual belief, the knowledge that things will get better, no matter how big or small.”

With these thoughts I agree, however, the question remains: where get we faith to believe? The Bible teaches;

For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.
“For in Jesus Christ …

 “faith …worketh by love.” Galatians 5:6

Wow! Not a belief in a higher power, but true love from a “first loving” God produces faith.

Faith comes by hearing and that by God’s Word. The character of God comes to us from here, and His nature is love.

Friends,

” …if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.” 1 John 3:20 This is Love.

“If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself. ” 2Timothy 2:13 This is Love.

“…I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee  …The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.” Heb 13:6 This is love

Finally, Nickle Creek recorded “The Hand Song” and here is an excerpt:

“The Hand Song”
“The boy only wanting to give mother something,
And all of her roses had bloomed,
Looking at him as he came rushing in
Knowing her roses were doomed.
All she could see were some thorns buried deep
And tears that he cried as she tended his wounds.
And she knew it was love, it was what she could understand
He was showing his love and that’s how he hurt his hands.
“He still remembers that night as a child, on his mothers knee,
She held him close and she opened her Bible, and quietly started to read,
Then seeing a picture of Jesus, he cried out
“Mama he’s got some scars just like me!”
And he knew it was love, it was what he could understand,
He was showing his love, and that’s how he hurt his hands.”

A mother senses the love of her child, wounded in his attempt to get mom a rose. The child senses love in the wounds of Jesus in the picture.

If your hope fades, run to His wounded side, it was for you he suffered, let it produce faith. Hope will follow. love ya

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4 Comments

  1. Kathy said:

    Loved this, brother!

    August 10, 2018
    Reply
    • pt s said:

      Thanks, heading your way soon. love

      August 10, 2018
      Reply
  2. Leah said:

    Precious, Pastor Tom… Hope truly is grace expectation.????

    August 11, 2018
    Reply
    • pt s said:

      thanks for reading

      August 13, 2018
      Reply

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