Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life. Proverbs 13:12 NLT
Tonight as I pondered what to pen in this post, I could not help thinking about all the things I am hopeful for. The past two weeks have been pretty exciting, and there were days filled with hope and promise. Much of it revolves around the dream the Lord has placed in my heart. I am thrilled by all the things that are falling into place, not just surrounding Love Echoed Back, but the future possibilities that are ahead of me as well.
However, the pressure of balancing work, home, and the call on my life has also been building. On top of everyday chores around the house, my current project list at work has become dramatically heavy as we push to meet an upcoming deadline, and I am in full prep-mode for the She Speaks Conference at the end of July. Oh …and there is that manuscript to get back to the publisher.
Now, not for a moment do I believe the battle raging around the events competing for my time is some sudden coincidence. The devil is clearly putting up hurdles, thinking he will wear me out before I can cross the finish line. The true challenge before me is not time management, but to not lose hope!
I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 NLT
If I am focusing where I should be, with eyes firmly planted on Jesus, I should never be hopeless. Sure, there will be times of frustration, fatigue, and even a time or two when another hair will turn gray, but never a time void of hope. He is a never-ending well of refreshment to the soul who seeks Him.
One of my all time favorite sections of Scripture is Lamentations 3:22-24. Many translations end verse 24 with “I will hope in Him.” Today, I want to give you a different view of these verses, as translated in The Message:
God’s loyal love couldn’t have run out,
his merciful love couldn’t have dried up.
They’re created new every morning.
How great your faithfulness!
I’m sticking with God (I say it over and over).
He’s all I’ve got left.
I love the honesty in that version! “He’s all I’ve got left” (verse 24, MSG). Let me assure you, if Jesus is all you have left, you have plenty!
This week consider:
1. Have you placed your trust in the right source of hope?
2. Are you looking forward to the future and all that it holds for you?
3. Are you sticking with Him?
Life may not always go the way you want it to, but He will supply the hope you need for today and tomorrow!!
Blessings!
New Living Translation (NLT). Copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
The Message (MSG).Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson