RELENTLESS
HOPE
BREAD
17 Because
God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs
of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. 18 God did this so that, by two
unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled
to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. 19 We have this hope as an anchor
for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the
curtain, 20 where
Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high
priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek. Hebrews 6:17-20 (NIV)
1 Therefore,
since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our
Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through
whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And
we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Romans 5:1-2 (NIV)
23 Not
only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan
inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our
bodies. 24 For in
this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for
what he already has? 25 But if
we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. Romans 8:23-25 (NIV)
12 Hope
deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. Proverbs 13:12 (NIV)
3 No one
whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame, but they will be put to shame
who are treacherous without excuse. Psalms
25:3 (NIV)
12 Be
joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Romans 12:12 (NIV)
13 May
the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that
you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 (NIV)
18 I pray
also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know
the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in
the saints, 19 and
his incomparably great power for us who believe. Ephesians 1:18-19 (NIV)
22 May
your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord,
even as we put our hope in you. Psalms
33:22 (NIV)
BUTTER
“It's a promise that whatever you might be experiencing today is
just one chapter in a story that He is writing, and that story isn't over
yet....extract the precious from the worthless (Jeremiah 15)..Life has far more sticky
situations than miraculous moments. As you encounter challenges, difficulties,
and setbacks, train your eyes to ‘extract the precious.’ Train your ears to
hear the promise. And train your heart to pursue relentless hope.” Beth Guckenberger
“And it is the
believer, who is not content with this spontaneous expression of his hope, but
who takes time in secret prayer to wait until he has received and laid hold of
what he has seen, who will really grow strong in Christ.” Andrew Murray
“My hope is not in a cure today. My hope is not the
absence of suffering and comfort returned. My hope is in the presence of the
One who promises never to leave or forsake, the One who declares nothing “will
be able to separate us from the love of God.” (Romans 8:39). Nothing. Your
story is a good story. In the grief, pain and hard, the Author has a plan. It
may feel like a desperate breaking of your very heart, but suffering is not the
absence of God or good.” Kara
Tippetts
“If
God knows what things we have need of, before we ask him, where lies the
advantage of
prayer?
If he is ready, of his own free will, to assist us, what purpose does it serve
to employ our prayers, which interrupt the spontaneous course of his
providence? The very design of prayer furnishes an easy answer. Believers do
not pray, with the view of informing God about things unknown to him, or of
exciting him to do his duty, or of urging him as though he were reluctant. On
the contrary, they pray, in order that they may arouse themselves to seek him, that
they may exercise their faith in meditating on his promises, that they may
relieve themselves from their anxieties by pouring them into his bosom; in a
word, that they may declare that from Him alone they hope and expect, both for
themselves and for others, all good things.” John Calvin
“But the gospel cuts against the grain
with a message that counters it all: You are disobedient, you are dead, you are
doomed. (And, of course, until Christ found me I, too, was disobedient and dead
and doomed.) This bad news of the gospel is so offensive (yet so demonstrably
true!) that few people stick around to hear the good news—the good news that
there is hope and forgiveness and freedom for those who will put their faith in
Jesus Christ and receive his salvation. The bright stars are only visible
against the dark sky, and the ultimate joy of the gospel only shines against
the ultimate bad.” Tim
Challies
“Luther
was once found at a moment of peril and fear, when he had need to grasp unseen
strength, sitting in an abstracted mood tracing on the table with his finger
the words, ‘Vivit! Vivit!’ (‘He lives!
He lives!’). It is our hope for
ourselves, and for His truth, and for mankind.
Men come and go; leaders, teachers, thinkers speak and work for a
season, and then fall silent and impotent.
He abides. They die, but He
lives. They are lights kindled, and,
therefore, sooner or later quenched; but He is the true light from which they
draw all their brightness, and He shines forevermore.” Alexander Maclaren
“No matter what
happens in life, remember this: You have a Savior. As a Christian, you have
been saved from death. You have been saved from eternal punishment and hell.
You have the hope that when you die, you will go straight to heaven. That is
the most important thing about the Christian life. There is a Heaven waiting
for you. You have a Savior.” Greg Laurie
“Though
we now see but a poor reflection as in a mirror, we hold the certainty of the
hope of glory in our hearts. And what
does that entail? As believers, we are
presently objects of Divine approval and blessedness because of the blood of
Jesus and His righteousness and we presently possess this glory in spirit by
the Holy Spirit. One day – either upon
Jesus’ return or our death – we will be transformed outwardly as well into this
glorified beautiful condition. It is a
state into which one is accorded the fullest enjoyment of the admiration of God
as objects of His highest regard and praise and further the enjoyment of fullness,
satisfaction, joy, righteousness and ceaseless delight. It encompasses outward splendor, grandeur,
pomp, elegance, magnificence, beauty, excellence of appearance, impressiveness,
brilliance, illustriousness and eminence (Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible –
New Testament Lexical Aids). Therefore,
encourage one another with these words!” BHY
“At times you will feel as the Israelites did before I worked through
Moses to part the Red Sea. They gazed with fear into a sea of hopelessness as
their Egyptian enemies headed toward them. However, as My people discovered,
hopelessness is just an illusion created by the enemy. The truth is, there is
no such thing as a futile situation. I am the God of hope, even when everything
you love and live for appears to be drowning. When you can’t swim any longer, I
am your lifesaver. I am the author of your life who can rewrite and transform
any tragedy to triumph. I am the one who will work all things together for your
good even when it appears all has gone bad. When you don’t know what to do, be
still long enough to allow Me to calm the storm in your heart and part the sea
that seems to lie in the way of My promises for you. If you will wait on Me,
you will witness My wonders!” Sheri Rose Shepherd
HEART SAVOR
- · My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
- · Hope that is seen is no hope at all.
- · Our hope manifests our trust.
