Today Is a Verb: Hope
In case you missed the great news … “Today is a Verb” … my 18th book … was released this year.
I have loved writing all 18 books … but there is something about this book that truly reflects the lifestyle I have embraced for decades.
I thought that today I would share with you one of my favorite chapters from this marvelous, breathtaking book.
I hope that it will compel you to read more and to buy a copy for yourself and for a friend!
We are the people of hope—and we serve the God of all hope! What an amazing journey as we travel through dry valleys, climb steep mountains, press on through vicious storms, and follow rocky pathways. No matter where you are on your journey and regardless of what the traveling conditions might be, always remember that hope is your compass.
Hope points the way toward a brighter tomorrow; hope places a spring in your step and renews the song of joy in your heart. Hope is the anchor in every storm and the peace treaty in every battle. If there is still breath in your lungs, you can remain hopeful because of His great and unwavering goodness.
Hope is a door that miraculously opens for those who walk by faith and not by sight. Hope is the small bird that sings in the darkest night when everything else is silent. Hope confronts every trial with the irrepressible joy of the Lord.
While some people may mournfully advise, “Don’t get your hopes up,” I can shout to the contrary that the people of God must get their hopes up! We must live in a state of heightened hope and defiant faith. If I am going to be accused of something, let it be that I am a woman who hopes too much and fears too little.
When you don’t know what to do, you can always choose hope. When your heart has been broken by people or by events, a big dose of hope might be just what the doctor ordered.
“So be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord!” —Psalm 31:24 NLT
There is an amazing story found in the Old Testament that just might stir up hope in your heart today.
Asa was king of Judah and had an army of valiant warriors when Zerah came against him with an army of a million men and three hundred chariots. The odds against Asa were enormous, and the country of Judah was sure to be obliterated. There was nothing Asa could do to prepare his troops for such a slaughter, and there were no allies for him to call upon for help.
Then Asa called to the Lord his God and said, “Lord, there is no one besides You to help in the battle between the powerful and those who have no strength; help us, Lord our God, for we trust in You, and in Your name have come against this multitude. Lord, You are our God; do not let man prevail against You.” —2 Chronicles 14:11
Asa reminded the Lord that he had no one to help him but the Lord. Only God could help Judah fight this battle.
In the classic devotional Streams in the Desert, the author quotes theologian F. B. Meyers:
Put God between yourself and the foe. To Asa’s faith, Jehovah seemed to stand between the might of Zerah and himself, as one who had no strength. Nor was he mistaken.We are told that the Ethiopians were destroyed before the Lord and before His host, as though celestial combatants flung themselves against the foe in Israel’s behalf, and put the large host to rout, so that Israel had only to follow up and gather the spoil. Our God is Jehovah of hosts, who can summon unexpected reinforcements at any moment to aid His people. Believe that He is there between you and your difficulty, and what baffles you will flee before Him, as clouds before the gale.
My definition of the word hope is to “put God between myself and the foe.” I can do that; can you?
I love the Word of God more than I love chocolate, oxygen to breathe, or even spending time with my amazing adult children. I would rather read the Bible than go shopping, enjoy a day at the beach, or live in my dream home. As you can imagine, after being a student of the Bible for most of my adult life, there are many passages in Scripture that have sprung to vibrant life in my heart. Whenever I meditate on one of these precious verses or teach on these treasured Scriptures, I inevitably proclaim, “This is one of my favorite passages in all of Scripture.” And the truth is, it’s all my favorite. I love every verse, every word, every book in the irreplaceable Word of God.
One of my favorite Scriptures that never ceases to make me smile and gives me a hope not tied to my earthly circumstances is found in the book of Romans written by the apostle Paul:
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
The words penned by Paul and inspired by the Holy Spirit ricochet through the centuries and find fertile soil in the hearts of all who live today in the twenty-first century. Paul’s words are at once a prayer, an admonition, and a heartfelt desire. He soberly realized the early church would never make it through the tribulations they would soon face without the hope that only God can give. And so, he told them, “Church … get your hopes up!”
Hope never enters a hurting heart alone but invariably brings its twin sister, joy, and its little brother, peace. Hope also understands that first believing in the God of hope will ultimately and quickly reproduce hope in the soul of a discouraged Christian. Hope was never meant to stay the same size; when the Father stirs up your hope, it multiplies exponentially until it bursts out of your heart unto others.
As you stir up your belief in the goodness of God and as you open the door of your heart to the family of hope, a miracle occurs. Where once there was discouragement and despair, you are now absolutely dripping with hope. You are up to your ears in hope, and it is gleefully threatening to swallow you alive!
The Holy Spirit loves to barge into the life of a disheartened believer and to unashamedly shout, “It’s time to get your hopes up! God is still on the throne! He has never lost a battle yet!”
Hope will enable you to endure what others can’t endure and to sing while the arrows are flying around you. When hope and the Holy Spirit take charge of the battleground of your heart, a sacred celebration is about to begin and you, my friend, are the guest of honor.
Hope is a choice that begins in one’s mind and then travels to the heart. While you might not always feel like hoping, if you can intentionally choose to hope, the feeling will certainly follow.
Jeremiah is remembered as the weeping prophet because his grief over the state of the world was pervasive. Jeremiah wept because the people of his generation had rejected God and were living lives of selfishness and sin. This sad prophet wrote the book of Lamentations, which is known as the book of tears. In many ways, this short book tucked into the Old Testament is a funeral dirge written for the fallen city of Jerusalem.
In the middle of Jeremiah’s wretched pain, he suddenly reminds himself who God is and why there is always a reason to hope:
Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: the faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!” —Lamentations 3:21–24 NLT
Isn’t this astounding? Don’t you just want to stand and cheer for Jeremiah? Isn’t your heart just about to burst out of your chest? Jeremiah’s declaration of joy and hope is only possible because he removed his focus from his disappointment and placed it on the faithfulness of God.
Hope will only be possible for you, my friend, when you listen to Jeremiah and imitate his behavior. Call to mind the Lord’s lovingkindness in your life and remind yourself that His compassion extends to you. The Father has not forgotten you; indeed, His faithfulness is the foundation of your life. You can hope because you have Jesus.
Many of us are prisoners without realizing it. A prison is a discouraging and limiting place to live. Perhaps you realize that you have been a willing prisoner at one of these emotional penitentiaries:
• A prison of negativity and criticism
• A prison of unhealthy mental habits
• A prison of anxiety and fear
• A prison of former abuse and past pain
• A prison of regret and failure
• A prison of wasting time on things that don’t actually matter
• A prison of comparison
If you are going to be a prisoner of anything at all, let it be a prisoner of hope. Choose to be in bondage to hope, a magnificent cellmate of the very best kind.
At the end of my life, as I look back over the years I have lived and the things that I valued, I pray that I can declare over my life, “Well, at least I had hope!”
While it is true that your future is unknown and you are unsure what lies ahead, remind yourself often that God holds all the tomorrows of your life, and He has promised never to leave you or forsake you. Tether yourself to the promises of God and live in the prison of hope. God has a reward for those who choose to live in their lives in the stronghold of hope; He intends to give you a double blessing of unmatched strength. Hope always produces a double blessing.
Thanks for listening to my heart this week. As you know by now, my heart is truly not a perfect heart but it is a heart that is filled to overflowing with gratitude for the life I have been given and for the people who walk with me. And, it continues to be a heart that is relentlessly chasing after God and all that He is!
Unsung Hero with Helen Smallbone (ReRun)
When David Smallbone’s successful music company collapsed, he moved his family from Australia to the United States in search of a brighter future. With nothing more than their six children, their suitcases, and their love of music, David and his pregnant wife Helen set out to rebuild their lives from the ground up. My guest today is Helen Smallbone…you might know her better as the mom of Grammy-winning @rebeccastjames Rebecca St. James and @ForKingAndCountry For King and Country’s Luke and Joel Smallbone! Her remarkable story is going to encourage you today how important a mother’s faith is in the face of all odds. Lean in and listen as you get to know this incredible mama, whose story is the basis for the upcoming film, Unsung Hero. @LionsgateMovies