Hope Springs part 4
Being hopeful isn't about being unrealistic. Its about believing the Word of God (which is Jesus, which is love). Believing that things are not bad and getting worse, but good and getting better! Almost every day I tell people, "This is a good day to have a great day!" Because, to me, a big part of being hopeful is being positive. Being optimistic. We know that we can affect our surroundings by our attitudes, right? If we expect something to be horrible, it probably will. And in the same vein, if we let what's truly inside come out--that Word again... love--we can rest assured that no matter what we go through, it is all working together for good. We can fill ourselves to overflowing with what God has filled us with. We can let what's inside spring out of us! And we do that by knowing it and believing it. By letting the wind of the Holy Spirit stir up what's already inside us. Hope isn't about wanting something you don't have. Its not about "hoping" to win the lottery (especially when you don't even play the lottery). Its about expecting the manifestation of God's will in your life. Knowing that your heavenly Father loves you and has given you all things. All things that pertain to life and godliness. Knowing that your heavenly Father loves you and has blessed you. Blessed you with all Spiritual blessings. We have everything we ever could or ever would need. Right now. And all of the material things that we chase after... Jesus said that our Father already knows we need those things, and when we seek first the Kingdom and His righteousness those things will be added to us. We don't ever need to try to earn anything from our Father. Certainly not the basic necessities of life. I just fed my kid half a pizza. Because he was hungry. He didn't have to jump through hoops to get it, either. I just bought it, and gave it to him. That's a father does; he provides for his children. And in this Spiritual case, what our Father has provided for us... is hope. Hope springs eternal in the breast of man. Its always there in our hearts. Tied directly into our DNA. We will settle for a lot, but its really hard for us to completely lose hope. There's something deep inside. That promise of a better tomorrow. Today wasn't so great? Well, we can learn from it. Learn and grow. And do better tomorrow. MAKE tomorrow better. Not in the sense of "earning" a better tomorrow by toeing some made up line, but by BEING who we really are no matter what tomorrow brings. Letting Jesus carry us through. Letting Him keep us from falling. I'm telling you right now, if Jesus is holding you up NOBODY can drag you down. How could they? God is all-powerful. Which doesn't mean MOST powerful, it means ALL of the power. Love is all of the power in this world. That's why we can rule and reign as kings in priests on this earth. We have been equipped and empowered by THE power. We can be hopeful because our hope is in the Lord. We can be faithful because our faith is in God. Our faith is in LOVE. Our hope is in LOVE. And love never fails!