Hope

Reflect On What God Has Done

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“Not only so, but we[c] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Romans 5:3-8 NIV

The truth about life is we will see troubles.  Jesus tells us directly in John 16:33, that trouble will come…not maybe or it might come…you will have troubles in this life.  Take time to reflect on what God has already done for you.  If we listen to the Lord and we know life can be hard, we should be more focused on how to get through our struggles and see what we can learn from them so we can share and help others.

God has provided the Way through difficult times…Jesus, His Son our Savior and God’s Word will guide us and see us through.  Think about troubles in your past…looking back where do you see God in it?  Remember all that God has already done for you through Jesus.  Trust in the Lord and persevere through trials.

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“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.”

James 1:12 NIV

(This photo was taken in July of 2019 at a lake in northwestern Wisconsin)

Guard Your Heart

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“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

Jeremiah 29:13 NIV

We all face trials and struggles.  The one thing we can control during these times and situations is how we choose to respond.  Many of us quickly try to gain control and take charge, determined not to let the situation get the best of us…others do an about face and get away from the situation as quickly as they can.

All of us can do better if we start with bringing the situation, the difficult time or difficult relationship to God first.  We need to stop waiting and trying to do things our own way…going into battle against darkness and evil without God is like a soldier heading into a battle without any weapon.  If we turn towards God first, the more likely we will find peace and be able to overcome the troubles of life.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33 NIV

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“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:6-7 NIV

(This photo was taken in October of 2013 in a neighborhood near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Grace…Hope…Peace

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“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we[b] boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we[c] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope.”

Romans 5:1-4 NIV

God’s love for us is unconditional.  This is God’s Grace…His love does not change based on our behaviors.  It is hard for us to understand because we are human and He is God.  The truth is He cannot love us any more and He cannot love us any less than He does right now.  He is the only one we can truly count on in this life.

He sent His Son as a sacrifice to allow us to be reconciled to Him.  If we are willing to believe in Jesus Christ and seek a personal relationship with Him we will be filled with Hope that only comes through Jesus.  It is this Hope that brings us Peace that surpasses all understanding.  May God’s peace be with you and flow through you.  Amen.

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“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.“

Romans 15:13 NIV

(This phot was taken in August of 2016 at a lake in Glacier National Park in Montana)

Grace…Love…Hope

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“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.”

1 John 4:7-12 NIV

God gives us blessings for every part or our lives…

God gives us Grace for our past

God gives us Love for the present

God gives us Hope for the future

Thanks be to God for all that He is and all that He does for us.  Amen.

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“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Romans 15:13 NIV

(This photo was taken in May of 2023 along the North Shore of Lake Superior)

Spirit of Truth

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“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.”

John 16:13 NIV

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth.  Put your trust in the Lord and His will for your life…it may not be what you have always thought about your life yet God is the Creator and knows what is best for you.  Stay close to the Lord and spend time with Him, be in His Word and the Spirit of Truth will guide you.  Amen.

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“If you love me, you will obey what I command.  And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever – the Spirit of truth.  The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him.  But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.”

John 14:15-17 NIV

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 at Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming)

Hope, Joy And Peace

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“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.”

Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

“You make known to me the path of life;
    you will fill me with joy in your presence,
    with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”

Psalm 16:11 NIV

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

John 14:27 NIV

We have hope because Jesus Christ has risen from the dead and He is alive.  We can have joy when we learn to understand that nothing in this life is too big for God to help us overcome.  All of this provides us peace knowing that God loves us, provides for us and will never leave us or abandon us.  Know this hope, be filled with this joy and you will have peace that surpasses understanding.  Amen.

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“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Romans 15:13 NIV

(This photo was taken in 2021 at a Fish Sunflowers Field in Buffalo, Minnesota)

God Is Greater Than…

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“You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”

1 John 4:4 NIV

No matter what you are facing, no matter what the circumstances are, no matter how bad the tragedy or trauma that has occurred…God is bigger than that…God is greater than anything you will encounter in this life.  Believe it and put your faith, your hope and your trust in Jesus Christ.

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“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
    for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.
24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
    therefore I will wait for him.”

25 The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,
    to the one who seeks him;
26 it is good to wait quietly
    for the salvation of the Lord.”

Lamentations 3:22-26 NIV

(This photo was taken in September of 2022 in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming)

We Have This Hope

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“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[i] have been called according to his purpose.”

Romans 8:28 NIV

Why should we have hope?  Because the God of the universe, our Creator, loves us and He wants good things for us.  How do we know?  Because He sent His Son as a sacrifice to do for us that which we cannot do on our own…save us from our sinful ways.  From the greatest tragedy, Jesus Christ death on the Cross, God brought about the greatest triumph, the resurrection of our Savior.  No matter what has happened, no matter where you are…whatever you have done or left undone…there is hope because of God’s love for you and because He wants good things for you.  Turn towards the Lord and bring everything to him.  Amen.

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“Let us hold firmly to the hope we claim to have. The God who promised is faithful. 24 Let us consider how we can stir up one another to love. Let us help one another to do good works. 25 And let us not give up meeting together. Some are in the habit of doing this. Instead, let us encourage one another with words of hope. Let us do this even more as you see Christ’s return approaching.”

Hebrews 10:23-25 NIRV

(This photo was taken in June of 2018 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Our Source Of Strength

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“Blessed is the one
    who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
    or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
    which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
    whatever they do prospers.”

Psalm 1:1-3 NIV

The closer we are to the Living Water of life provided by the Savior on a daily basis, the better we are equipped for situations and circumstances we will face in this world.  Our source of strength is God and His Word.  Drink the water He provides every day.  Amen.

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“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
    whose confidence is in him.
8 They will be like a tree planted by the water
    that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
    its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
    and never fails to bear fruit.”

Jeremiah 17:7-8 NIV

(This photo was taken in September of 2021 at a lake in northwestern Wisconsin)

The Word Of God

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“Your word is a lamp for my feet,
    a light on my path.”

Psalm 119:105 NIV

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

Colossians 3:16 NIV

Let God’s Word be your guide in life.  The world is filled with brokenness and suffering and none of us is immune.  Every day I spend time in God’s Word or pray verses over situations or circumstances it brings comfort, peace, and perspective.  God knows what is happening in the world and in your life…His Word is a gift to us…pick it up, read it, memorize it, and let it be a light for your path.  Amen.

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“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God[a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV

(This photo was taken in July of 2021 in Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado)