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Sunday, October 5, 2008

Hope in the Midst of Hardship

Right now the U.S. economy is in quite a bind: Unemployment is at an all time high, scared banks are withholding credit to small business owners, and struggling homeowners are on the brink of bankruptcy. All this is enough to make a person become consumed by fear and worry. It's definitely enough to make a woman panic.

Today the message is that there is hope in the middle of this storm. Psalms 71 v 5 says in part, "You are my hope, O Lord God." Many SBMWs put their hope in their jobs, their careers, their salaries, and savings. However in hard economic times such as these, we realize just how faulty those decisions are.All those things can be squashed in bad economic times. Only the Lord God can remains constant in the middle of any storm.

I don't know about you, but I think that makes the Lord God a good person to deposit hope in. The Psalmist David said he hopes in God because He has followed us from our very beginnings.


"You are my trust from youth," the Psalmist continued in verse 5. "By You I have been upheld from birth; You are He who took me out of my mother's womb. My praise shall be continually of you."


As our heavenly father, not only is He constant, but He wants good things for us. "'For I know the thoughts that I think towards you,' says the Lord. 'Thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29 v 11. God is working in our favor to help us achieve a peaceful future.

How? For one, He inspired the apostles to write the Bible, a handbook for our daily spiritual development. He has put people and resources in your life that has led to a relationship with Him. He has left the Holy Spirit to live within us. Through these things, God is empowering us to become better women and take on bigger things. With that in mind, our reaction should mirror that of The Psalmist in verse 14. "I will hope continually and I will praise You yet more and more."

During Your Lunch Time, Read: Psalms 71

After Reading, Meditate on This: Where have I been placing my hope? The psalmist testified about how his hope in God has sustained him. By consequence he has chose to praise Him. Think about how hope in God has made the difference in your life previously. Then have a personal praise session.

If you have read this and you do not have a personal relationship with God the Father through Jesus Christ the Son, God has good thoughts about you too. That's why He has led you to this page. He wants you to have a future with Him and paved the way by giving His son Jesus Christ. Jesus lived a humble life here on earth to serve people. In the end, He sacrificed His life on the cross to ensure people like you and me could tap into the hope God has to offer.

Will you accept that sacrifice today? Find a quiet place and pray this prayer: God, I am desperately need a new hope. I have lived life on my own terms long enough. Now I want to know the future that You would have for me. I ask Your forgiveness for my past life, and I accept new life and new hope through Your Son Jesus Christ. Thank you in the name of Jesus, Amen
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2 comments

Renee's Place said...

M.
I like your blog. Praise is the key to beating the enemy, defeat, and to wart off discouragement. What do you think?

stephaniesamuel said...

Hey Renee's Place

I'm glad you like the blog. You are absolutely right about praise. It's a powerful tool to beat back those feeling of defeat and depression. Plus, it's pretty hard to be hopeful if you can't get pass the negative.

check out Wednesday's post, Looking at the Positive.

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