God my hope!

    One common thing that many of us do at the start of the year, is to make resolutions. For many, the new year is the opportunity for a do-over, to do better than we did the year before, to create and accomplish goals so that we can live a happy and healthy life. I don’t need to remind us of what actually happens to many of our well-intentioned goals as the year progresses. We may start off enthusiastic and focused but as the days turn into weeks and the weeks into months, we are not as focused and as determined as when the year began. 
    At the end of the day, what drives us at the beginning of the year is hope - the hope that we can do those things that would make our lives better and help us feel more accomplished. The Bible is filled with stories of hope. In fact, the whole story of salvation and redemption is one of hope. In Romans 15:13 we read, “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” First and foremost, the verse begins by reminding us that God is the God of hope. It is in Him that we find our hope.
    I remember a few years ago after becoming ill, when I felt hopeless and wanted to give up. God reminded me that when I have no hope, He is my hope. I did not need to look for hope within myself. God is my hope and would give me the courage and strength I needed to go on. That popular verse, Jeremiah 29:11 says: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” God is the God of hope. When everything around us - or in us - seems to be falling apart, God is the only One to give us the hope we need to keep going, to keep fighting, to keep living. 
    Have you ever reached the point where you are discouraged, you may even want to give up, but you can’t help but acknowledge that God and God alone would get you through this? There are times when we can run to friends, family or some other form of support. But there may also be times when you know that you know that not even these can help. It’s going to have to be God and God alone to do it. 
    There are a number of stories in the Bible of people who were in impossible situations but trusted God to bring them through. Abraham was given a promise by God that he would be the father of many nations. Yet, his wife was barren and they were both well-advanced in age. Yet, in Romans 4:18 it states: “Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, 'So shall your offspring be.'" Abraham did not look at the reality of his circumstances but at the ability of his God to fulfil His own promise to him. His hope was in his God not in himself or his wife.
    In Romans 15:13 the hope is that, this same God of hope might “fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” When you put your hope, your trust in God, you can actually experience joy and peace in the midst of negative situations because you know that God’s got you and His grace will sustain you. Have you ever experienced that kind of joy and peace in the midst of a challenge? It’s simply because your hope is in God, the One that you know can do the impossible. Your confidence is rooted in the reality that your God will take care of you and He will see you through. Hope is not based on what you can see or feel but on who God is and His consistently successful track record for sustaining and seeing His people through difficult situations.
    So, I encourage us today to put our trust in the God of hope, the God who will hold us up when we can’t even hold ourselves up. Isaiah 41:10 says, “Fear not for I am with you. Be not dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes I will help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” That’s God’s promise to us, to sustain and keep us as we navigate life’s challenges. He knows we can’t do it on our own so He has given us the assurance of His presence and His help. This is where our hope lies, in the God who has promised to be there for us when we need it.
    If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, I encourage you to do so today. God knows that this life can be challenging. He desires to be that hope that anchors us and helps us to make it through whatever comes our way. Just trust Him!
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