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I’m sure you’ve heard many quotes about hope. Like “hold on to hope” “don’t give up hope” and even “hope floats”. But what does the Bible say about hope??
- Romans 12:12 says “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer.”
- Romans 15:4 says “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.”
- Psalm 147:11 says “The Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.”
- Proverbs 23:18 says “There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.”
If you’re anything like me, those are easy to read but hard to put into action.
Back in July, I had a stroke, and even though I’ve made SO much progress, I struggle to find hope when I think about some of the challenges I still face. I know God’s got me and He is FOR me, but some days are so tough. And instead of speaking words of hope to myself, I keep asking questions like, will my sight ever be normal? Will they figure out what caused my stroke? Will I have another one?
I need to let go of those questions. Do you ever hold on to things that serve no purpose, that we feel justified in holding on to? I do. And I feel like I can say “I had a stroke, I’m allowed to be anxious and fearful and have bad days!!” But God. But God. Am I leading anyone to a relationship with Jesus when I myself question His goodness and whether or not he’s taking care of me?
Let go. Let go of the things that are keeping you from a closer relationship with God. Let go of the things that are keeping those around you from seeing your faith. Let go of anything that hinders someone from knowing about the life-saving Grace of Jesus. He’s got you.
The Only Thing You Should Hold On To Is…HOPE!
~Brooke