WINNING HOPE

For when God made a promise to Abraham because He could not swear by no one greater He swore by Himself, saying, surely in blessing I will bless you, multiplying I will multiply you. And so after he had patiently endured he obtained the promise. (Heb.6:13-15)

Hope is one of the factors that keep a man going in His world of challenges and uncertainty. Hope ignites passion and resurrects desire, it motivates a man, encourages enterprises and it makes praying a delight. Hope is a spirit of conviction to trust, to rely on, to wish and expect, though the thing wished for seems unlikely. The Bible says "Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength" (Isaiah 40:31). Job in the Bible was able to say "I know my Redeemer lives and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth, and though my skin be destroyed by worms, yet in my flesh shall I see God" despite all what he went through in form of affliction, sorrow, pain, neglect and loss.

Why do we need hope? We need hope because we have in our thoughts that despite all the odd things we are going through God can do something about our case as in the case of Job cited above. Our hope in God brings salvation. We are saved in this hope. Hope that is seen is not hope, for we cannot hop for what we see. We only hope for what we do not see and we eagerly wait for it with perseverance. Abraham was promised to be given a child through which the nations of the earth will be blessed at the age of 75 years. But he received the fulfilment of God's promise when he was 100 years old. Abraham, who contrary to hope, in hope believed so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, h was not weak in faith, he did not consider his own body already dead, did not weaver at God's promise through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God. The Bible says Abraham was fully convinced that what god has promised, He was able also to perform. Abraham was persuaded beyond reasonable doubt that God was able to perfect and perform that which concerns him as regards the promise of Isaac.

The same attitude is what God expects of us today as His children regardless of the contrary situation we might find ourselves in. we must not be hopeless, that is we must not "HOPE - LESS". Hopelessness dries up the bones, stagnates or destroys desire and leads to premature resignation an acceptance of status quo. Do not be downcast in your soul, put your hope in God, encourage yourself in the Lord. Self-encouragement is the best motivation for keeping hope alive: praise the Lord in the face of adversity.

God does not want you to give up in seemingly hard times. Remember constantly god's plans, covenant, His loving kindness and faithfulness that never fail. Hope may not be deferred but cannot be denied. You need to keep hope alive by waiting on Him in expectation that He will hear your cry and answer you. You will be a winner, victorious in your hopeless situation as you allow the one whose hope cannot be lost in your life and in all your plans.

You will have to cultivate the habit of speaking the right word into your situation. When your situation is confusing or hopeless, turn it over to the one who knows all things and can do all things. The Bible says "I know oh Lord you can do everything and no plan or purpose of yours can be thwarted. His eyes are on the sparrow and He will see you through as you confirm Him to be able to turn your situation around".

To turn your situation around, you must persist and persevere in doing what you know how best to do, your working at it will pay you off. Isaac was in a land ravaged with famine but at the same time went planting. He reaped a hundredfold that same year.
For you to get what you are trusting God for, you must believe, have faith in God and persevere in the face of opposition or odd situations.

Do not allow what is happening around you to affect the way you think, see and talk. When it seems hard or difficult, that is the time that you are to seek or hope in God the more. "Therefore, do not cast away the confidence which has a great recompense or reward, for you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise" (Hebrews 10:35-36).

God is still in the business of changing lives and situations, but He does this according to the definition you give the situation. Whatever He hears you say, that is what He will do. God does not change but He does every change necessary in the life of whomever trusts or hopes in Him.

SHALOM