PRAISE & PRAYER PROMPT ••• This is Day 7 of a 7-part series “Things We Can’t Buy.” And today, we’re talking about Hope.
In 1789, Benjamin Franklin wrote, “in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” Pretty hopeless statement. If death and taxes are all we can be certain of, what’s the point of all this?
That’s where hope comes in. Hope is what gives us purpose. It’s what drives us. It’s what gives us something to hold on to when things feel like they are falling apart.
The problem though is the source of our hope. We may tether our hope to a job but we’ll be disappointed if the economy crashes and we’re caught up in downsizing. Or we tether our hope to people or things — those are not the right foundation for secure hope. And it’s not something we can buy.
But when we tether our hope to Jesus… well, He paid the price that gives us hope.
I’m reminded of a story I read once that is the perfect analogy for hope:
*** The story is told about a little boy who was flying a kite. It was a windy day, and the kite kept going higher and higher. Finally, it got so high that it was out of sight. A man passed by and saw the little boy holding onto the string. The man could not see the kite, and he asked the boy, “How do you even know you have a kite up there?” The boy replied, “Because I can feel it.” ***
That’s our hope. When we place our faith in Jesus, we are forever tethered to the Holy Spirit. At times, we may not be able to see Him; He may feel far away; depending on how hard the winds of life are blowing, we may or may not feel Him. But He is there. And nothing can rip Him away from our lives—not even the fiercest of storms.
We can take hope in His presence because He lives in all who have accepted in Jesus as their Savior. Romans 15:13 ESV says, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”
Our God is a God of hope! It’s through the power of His Holy Spirit that we can have hope! Even when things feel hopeless, because God is in charge and He has a plan!
Today, as you pray, thank God for being the one, true, living God who is the foundation for hope. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you stay strong in hope, trusting that because of His presence, you are never without it.
