Hope Today .....

In recent days I find myself involved in conversations that seem to be filled with doom: lost jobs, financial stresses, declining 401(k) balances, lost home values, and so forth. I signed onto the internet tonite only to read headlines of the Dow dropping (again), fraud in large businesses, murder/suicide of an entire family, the severe beating of an eldery woman to rob her of her cash and jewelry – all very desperate situations. One could easily become consumed by this talk and begin to feel hopeless. I know the cliches that I hear (and have probably stated myself)…God will not give us more than we can handle, the glass is only half empty, God has a plan for us…these are just three. While there is wisdom in these sayings, it still leaves me wondering as to my “Christian” response to situations like those mentioned above. Then, I am reminded of the words from Romans 15:13: "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"

I quickly realize that the cliches don’t bring me hope, but God’s word does. And, the Holy Spirit within me brings me hope. When I am focused on God as a God of hope – I know that I can trust in Him and I can rest in Him. In that Hope, I can choose to convey His message of Joy and Peace to those I encounter each day. The struggles that we face in our world today are real, they are immense, they are hugely impacting! We face severe challenges – but when I face those challenges with God’s word close to my heart, I am more consumed by the thought of God’s promises to care for us than by the possibility of destruction in this world.

I wonder…do I really know God’s promise well enough to believe in that hope? In my daily conversations, are there ways I can convey the hope and joy and peace God offers? Can I be the one privileged enough to share God’s joy with another?

How might you find ways to let the joy and peace in you rise above the worries or concerns?

Erin