Holding On To Hope

HOPE!" Is the secret ingredient of our faith! In the Bible this word is used 164
times. The reason why may be: God wants you to be hopeful every minute of the day,
especially when it seems impossible to hope.

John Maxwell’s acronym for hope is:

H.O.P.E. = HOLDING ON, PRAYING EXPECTANTLY

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 says:

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly
we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving
for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is
seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is
eternal.”

We fix our outcome analyzing our current trouble or circumstances from a present
perspective. We can only see how it “feels” at the time. We can never base hope
on our feelings. Hope is based on “fixing our eyes not on what is seen, but on what
is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

The reason I call hope a secret ingredient is, this four-letter word is out of mind for a lot
of people—even some Christians! When we have troubles we want answers not hope.
Sorry, hope is developed through trials! Hard things, gut-wrenching, difficult stuff,
when we would give anything for this to end stuff. When we cry so hard, snotty tears
cover our face and our eyes begin to swell shut from weeping stuff.

Hope is designed to carry us through!

When we accept Christ, hope becomes part of our DNA, and our DNA never
changes!
Understand, if we don’t go through troubled times God cannot use our hope to achieve
His Master Plan. Your suffering is not wasted! It is being used in His master plan to
show someone His Glory! Maybe even His compassion, power or might. Someone
may be watching you in your situation and learning about hope.

God has a plan! It says in: Jeremiah 29:11

“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.”

While we wait, to get where He wants us to get, hope is the oil in our lamps to light our
souls! Without hope, we live dark and wasted lives, even while still alive and ready
for heaven. Why would you want to live a dark and wasted life? Keep pushing into
hope to find His grace. Christ in you gives you this ability!

So when we get to where He wants us to go, or when we experience a breakthrough in

a painful situation, do we still need hope? NO! We’ve made it! There is no need to hope
for what we already have! When you’ve made it, thank God and enjoy what you've
now have, then prepare yourself for the next trial!

If God uses your hope to fulfill His master plan, then He will Give you all the hope
you need!
Until we finally leave these earthly bodies and go to heaven, hope sustains us! When
we get Home, we’ll no longer have to be hopeful because we’ll be like God in our new
heavenly bodies. Every bit of sin, pain and Satan will be gone. There will be no more
pain, tears, fear, worry, anxiety, stress, strain, death, sickness, loneliness, or
destruction. Our oneness with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit will be complete!

THIS is what we truly hope for, hope for our completeness! So for now—for this
short journey on earth—let the Hope of God fill the lamps of your souls, and carry you
in these temporal days!

Remember: “Love always hopes.” (See 1 Corinthians 13:7)

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