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Three Steps to Renew Your Hope

February 8, 2019

“For I know the plans that I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

1. TRUST GOD’S PROMISES. The prophet Jeremiah wrote these words almost 500 years before Jesus came to earth; yet we still have a right to this promise of hope. The same God who declared a future and a hope to an exiled people is our God today. He never changes (Hebrews 13:8). And because Jesus died for the sins of all humanity, we have a new covenant “inaugurated under better promises” (Hebrews 8:6). How much more are we now called to hope.

2. COMMIT TO GOD’S PRIORITIES. It is our responsibility to keep our hopes alive. Start your day with devotion to Jesus. Just as we follow through on commitments even when we don’t feel like it – going to work, taking care of our kids, etc. – we must set Jesus as a priority day in and day out. Read a Proverb a day, find a good devotional, read some Psalms, read a chapter of the New Testament. When we continually remind ourselves what God’s Word says, then we become equipped, encouraged, and established in truth (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:12-13).

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

3. RELY ON GOD’S PERSPECTIVE. Hope and faith do not deny reality. They are the product of trust in God’s faithfulness. Faith-filled believers understand that more is going on than what they can see. As Christians, we are called to have faith and hope that God is creating a masterpiece, even if we can’t yet see how it all ties together. So keep praying, keep loving others, don’t cave into negative bias, stay in the Word – and watch God use you as a voice of hope in the world.

Press on!
Pastor Jeff

PRAY THIS PRAYER:
I love You, Jesus. Today I renew my devotion to You. You are Lord and I give You first place in my life. Help me to be ready to give an account for the hope that is in me to anyone who asks. And help me to do it with gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15). Amen!

prom·ise, noun
A declaration that one will do or refrain from doing something specified. Reason to expect something. To pledge to do, bring about, or provide (verb).

Copyright © 2019 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. “hope.” Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, n.d. 08 January 2019.