What is hope? Hope is your spirit reaching out to all the forces of Heaven to believe that good will result, that your dream will be fulfilled, that your hurtful circumstance will turn to joy. Hope is your heart saying I will not fear; I will believe; I will find a way. Hope is a spiritual force that sets you up for God’s best in your life, and it is only completed by faith and love, and Dear Ones, there is only one source that can answer your hope with the faith and love you need to see your desires fulfilled. His name is Jesus! Because of Him, we can hope and know that our dreams will come to pass.
You see, God is love and love only. There is no darkness or selfishness in Him. He wants only good for us at all times. He desires this so much that a long time ago, He sent His only begotten Son to earth as a baby, in the form of a human. God knew His son would have to suffer torment, ridicule, and shame, be spat upon, tortured, and crucified – all for the purpose of giving us hope. It was important that Christ had to come to earth as a child, because then we could see and understand that He had to grow up and face the same challenges as we did and be led by the same Holy Spirit of God that we do in order to overcome the pressures of this world. Well, guess what? He did it, and you can too! You can see your hope fulfilled. You can overcome . . . but there is a key.
The only way to access the faith and love that God has for us is to believe on His Son Jesus Christ! God is always pouring His love upon us whether we accept Him or not. He loves each one of us unconditionally, but the only way for us to receive that love into our lives is to receive Him. When we say “yes” to Him, all of Heaven’s glory is shed abroad in our hearts, and we have the same faith and love of God poured into our spirits, and we are made new; our hope is given wings! God’s faith poured into us is the substance of all we hope for, and His love makes us realize we are worthy and righteous before Him (Hebrews 11:1; Galatians 5:6; 1 Corinthians 13:13; 2 Corinthians 5:16-21).
So if you are not a believer, believe. Believe in the love He has for you! He desires to have an intimate relationship with you. If you are a believer, and you just seem to be having a hard time and are wondering why you may not be experiencing the joy that this glorious Christmas season should bring, renew your hope by drawing closer to Him. You will be met with the faith and love that will fulfill all you are hoping for!
Standing with you in the faith, hope, and love of God,
Pastor Lisa Marie Tihen
© 2017