LIKE A CHILD CH 6: HOPE

I was in the hospital for depression and felt hopeless in the midst of my mental anguish.  The pain was intense and there seemed to be no end to it.  I had no one who came to visit which made the pain worse.

I cried out to God and He met me where I was at and prompted me to begin journalling.  As I poured out my pain onto the paper in prayers to God, I felt relief for the first time in days.  I sent up prayers for healing and God answered that plea as the medication began to work.  A few days later, I was released from the hospital.  I praised God for being there for me and giving me hope.

MEMORY VERSE

“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).

WHAT’S IN A WORD?

Hope…

Hope is “desire accompanied by expectation” (Webster’s New World College Dictionary).  It is “to cherish a desire with anticipation” (Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary).  It is “favorable and confident expectation” (Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words).

HIDDEN GEMS

Children are filled with hope.  Unfortunately, one can lose this beautiful hope when negative things happen to us.  However, when we turn to God, He will give us hope that we could never have in our own strength.

“‘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).

Read Jeremiah 29:11. What does God know?

What are His plans?

What are not His plans?

What will God give us?

What a promising Scripture!  I clung to this during my bipolar episodes.  We can all have hope when we study His Word and hide Scriptures within us.  God will indeed give us hope and a future when we follow and obey Him.

“You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word” (Psalm 119:114, NIV).

Read Psalm 119:114. What was God to the psalmist?

What did he put his hope in?

We can indeed put our hope in God’s Word.  I found out that the more I read and studied God’s Word, the more hopeful I became.  We can all thank God for His Word to guide and direct our steps and give us hope.

“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” (Romans 5:5, NIV).

Read Romans 5:5. What does not put us to shame?

Why is this so?

What has been poured into our hearts?

Through Whom has this been given to us?

God’s unconditional love gives us hope.  Even in trials, we can be comforted in knowing that God will bring good out of our trials.  We can cling to God’s promises for His hope through the Holy Spirit.

YOUR HEART’S DESIRE

God longs to give us hope.  We can come to Him in our pain and He will help us overcome it.  In replace of our pain, God will give us hope and a peace that passes all understanding.  We will also learn lessons through our trials and God will bring good out of them.

Name a trial in your life where you felt like you lost hope.

How did you feel?

What Scripture spoke to you during this time?

How did you cry out to God?

How did this give you hope once again?

We can indeed find hope in any situation that comes our way.  We can praise God for His Word and for giving us His hope.  God will bring good out of any trial and strengthen our Christian faith.

PRAYER

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for giving me hope.  Help me to find good out of any trial and give me strength and hope to overcome them.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

NUGGETS OF WISDOM

Hope is a much greater stimulant of life than any happiness.  F. Nietzsche

We must accept finite disappointment, but we must never lose infinite hope.  Martin Luther King

My only hope is that I shall be clothed with the righteousness of Jesus Christ.  M. Lloyd-Jones

Our ground of hope is that God does not weary of mankind.  Ralph W. Sockman

Do not look to your hope, but to Christ, the source of your hope.  C.H. Spurgeon

VALUABLE VIRTUES CH 2: HOPE

I was in the hospital with severe depression.  I could hardly move.  I had lost all hope.  However, God planted a blessing there in the hospital – a loving, Christian nurse.  I will never forget how she put my hair in a braid so that it would be easier to take care of.  She also provided a listening ear to hear me express my pain and hopelessness.  She provided hope when there was little for me to be hopeful about.  When my depression was finally regulated with medication and I was preparing for going home, I went to that nurse and hugged her and thanked her for giving me hope in a dark place in my life.

MEMORY VERSE

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer” (Romans 12:12, NIV).

WHAT’S IN A WORD?

Hope…

Hope is “desire accompanied by expectation” (Webster’s New World College Dictionary).  It is “to cherish a desire with anticipation” (Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary).  It is “favorable and confident expectation…the happy anticipation of good” (Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words). 

HIDDEN GEMS

We all need hope in the midst of the hectic world we live in.  The difference is that people who have been saved have an everlasting hope.  God gives us hope and strength to face whatever comes our way.

“You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word” (Psalm 119:114, NIV).

Read Psalm 119:114. How is God described?

What does the psalmist put his hope in?

We can indeed trust and put hope in God’s Word.  It guides and directs our steps.  It is everlasting and produces hope instead of hopelessness.  God gives us guidelines through His Word.

“The Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love” (Psalm 147:11, NIV).

Read Psalm 147:11. Who does God delight in?

What do they put their hope in?

God’s love is unconditional.  He does indeed delight in those who fear Him.  Fearing God does not mean being afraid of Him.  Instead, it means to approach God in awe and reverence.

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life” (Proverbs 13:12, NIV).

Read Proverbs 13:12. What makes the heart sick?

What is a tree of life?

Hopelessness can indeed make the heart sick.  This can lead to depression in our lives.  When we have hope, we will have life abundantly.

“For in this hope we were saved.  But hope that is seen is no hope at all.  Who hopes for what they already have?  But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently?” (Romans 8:24-25, NIV).

Read Romans 8:24-25. How were we saved?

What is no hope at all?

How do we wait for what we do not yet have?

We have the hope of going to Heaven when we die.  The world does not have this hope.  We can indeed wait for the glorious reunion with Christ our Savior when we get to Heaven.

YOUR HEART’S DESIRE

“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).  Paul pronounces a blessing upon fellow believers.  God is indeed the God of hope.  He desires to shower His hope upon us.

Name a time that felt hopeless.

How did you cry out to God?

What Scripture spoke to you during this time?

How did God give you hope?

How did this strengthen your Christian walk?

Hope will indeed strengthen our Christian walk.  Though trials may come our way, we have hope in Christ.  We know that God is there in the midst of the trial.  We can praise God for giving us hope in every situation.

PRAYER

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for giving me hope in a hopeless world.  I look forward to the day when I get to Heaven.  This gives me hope to face whatever comes my way.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

NUGGETS OF WISDOM

Hope is a much greater stimulant of life than any happiness.  F. Nietzsche

Courage is like love; it must have hope for nourishment.  Napoleon

There is no better or more blessed bondage than to be a prisoner of hope.  Roy Z. Kemp

My only hope is that I shall be clothed with the righteousness of Jesus Christ.  M. Lloyd-Jones

Do not look to your hope, but to Christ, the source of your hope.  C.H. Spurgeon

CH 12: LOVE…HOPES

I felt that I had lost all hope when I was in the hospital for depression.  All things looked bleak and dark.  I couldn’t even read because I could not focus.  I cried out to the Lord for help in this downward spiral.  God prompted me to journal my feelings.  As I lifted up my feelings to the Lord, I felt hope for the first time.  I also began giving thanks for all the things the Lord provided me.  I thanked God for the nurse who gave me medicine.  I thanked God for the group sessions which was teaching me how to deal with the depression.  Most of all, I thanked God for being a shining light in the darkness for me and giving me hope once again.

“Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7, NIV).

MEMORY VERSE

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer” (Romans 12:12, NIV).

WHAT’S IN A WORD?

Hope…

Hope is “desire accompanied by expectation” (Webster’s New World College Dictionary).  It is “to cherish a desire with anticipation” (Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary).  “Hope is a factor in salvation…it finds its expression in endurance under trial, which is the effect of waiting for the coming of Christ” (Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words).

HIDDEN GEMS

We all long for hope in the midst of the stressors of our everyday lives.  The good news is that God gives us hope through His Son, Jesus Christ.  We can turn to God when we feel overwhelmed and He will give us hope.

“For you have been my hope, Sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth” (Psalm 71:5, NIV).

Read Psalm 71:5. Who has been the psalmist’s hope?

What has God been since his youth?

We can have hope and confidence in God.  When we place our hope in God, we will gain strength and faith to get us through whatever comes our way.

“You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word” (Psalm 119:114, NIV).

Read Psalm 119:114. What two things describe God in this psalm?

What has the psalmist put his hope in?

We can indeed place our hope in God’s Word.  It will guide and direct our steps in our everyday lives.  We can look to His Word for answers to our everyday questions and concerns.

“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” (Romans 5:5, NIV).

Read Romans 5:5. What does not put us to shame?

What has been poured out into our hearts?

Through Whom has this been done?

The Holy Spirit has been given to us to guide us in the way we should go.  The Holy Spirit reminds us of the Word which can be applied to our situation.  We can have hope because the Holy Spirit is in us.

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1, NIV).

Read Hebrews 11:1. What is confidence in what we hope for?

What is what we do not see?

Faith gets us through as we cry out to God.  Our faith is strengthened as we hope in the Lord to get us through to the other side.  We can then praise God for strengthening our faith in the process.

YOUR HEART’S DESIRE

Hope is something we can cling to as we turn to God for help.  Hope develops our faith muscles.  God also gives us hope through His Word as we pray to Him.

Name a time when you felt hopeless.

How did you feel?

How did you cry out to God?

What Scripture spoke to you during this time?

How did this strengthen your faith and give you peace?

“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).  When we trust in God, we will indeed overflow with hope.  Hopeless situations turn hopeful as we turn to God.  We can praise God for getting us through the trials we face and get us through to the other side.

PRAYER

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for giving me hope to face whatever comes my way.  I pray that You fill me with Your hope this day.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

NUGGETS OF WISDOM

There is no better or more blessed bondage than to be a prisoner of hope.  Roy Z. Kemp

My only hope is that I shall be clothed with the righteousness of Jesus Christ.  M. Lloyd-Jones

Hope is a much greater stimulant of life than any happiness.  F. Nietzche

Courage is like love; it must have hope for nourishment.  Napoleon

Do not look to your hope, but to Christ, the source of your hope.  C.H. Spurgeon

BLESSED HOPE CH 8: JOYFUL HOPE

I was growing more anxious by the minute.  I was seeing the oncologist to discuss the results of the liver biopsy and treatment.  The fear was overwhelming me.  That was when I reached out to the prayer chain at my church.  It only took 15 minutes after I sent the prayer request to find God’s peace and hope once again.  I heard from God and knew the decision I must make.  When I saw the doctor, he confirmed that the colon cancer had spread to my liver.  He then shared the treatment: chemo, colon surgery, more chemo, liver surgery, more chemo!  I felt a boldness to share with the doctor that the quality of my life meant more to me and that I was not going to have treatment.  I felt the Spirit’s presence working through me.  After I left the doctor’s office, I felt a peace and joy as I knew that I was doing God’s will.  I still believe that God can heal me of the cancer.  I praise God for giving me the gift of hope for my future no matter the outcome.

MEMORY VERSE

“But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful” (Psalm 68:3, NIV).

WHAT’S IN A WORD?

Joy…

Joy is “great pleasure; delight” (Webster’s New World College Dictionary).  It is “to rejoice” (Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary).  It is “exuberant joy…gladness” (Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words).

HIDDEN GEMS

Our blessed hope in Christ brings us joy.  No matter the circumstances, we know that God has the best in mind for us.  Joy lightens our load as we surrender to God.  This gives us the strength to face whatever comes our way.

“The righteous will rejoice in the Lord and take refuge in him; all the upright in heart will glory in him!” (Psalm 64:10, NIV).

Read Psalm 64:10. Who will rejoice in the Lord?

Who will take refuge in him?

Who will glory in his name?

As people set free from the bondage of sin, we can rejoice in the Lord.  We can have peace and joy knowing that God is there for us no matter the circumstances.  We can praise God for being our help in time of need.  “But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful” (Psalm 68:3, NIV).

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer” (Romans 12:12, NIV).

Read Romans 12:12. What are we to be joyful in?

What are we to be patient in?

What are we to be faithful in?

Hope brings us joy.  We can praise God for the hope we have in Christ.  We can look forward to the day we meet our Savior face to face.  We can thank God for being there for us every step of the way.

“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord.  Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.  But do this with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15, NIV).

Read 1 Peter 3:15. Who are we to revere in our hearts?

What do we need to be prepared to do?

What is this reason?

How are we to do this?

When we have hope in Christ, we are contagious to spread the hope that we have to others.  Nonbelievers will be drawn to us and want what we have.  We can then share the gospel with them to give them hope and joy.

YOUR HEART’S DESIRE

“Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again:  Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4, NIV).  Paul’s letter to the Philippians is often described as the letter of joy.  I find this amazing because this letter was written while Paul was in prison.  This can be an example to us about how to have joy despite what we are going through.

Name a trial where you struggled with finding hope.

How did you feel?

How did you draw near to God?

What Scripture spoke to you during this time?

How did this give you strength and hope in the midst of your trial?

“The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad” (Psalm 118:24, NIV).  We can rejoice and be glad in the midst of our trials.  This will bring us peace and comfort and strength to face whatever comes our way.  “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1, NIV).

PRAYER

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for giving me joy in the midst of my trials.  Give me the strength to face whatever comes my way as I find hope in Christ.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

NUGGETS OF WISDOM

I sometimes wonder whether all pleasures are not substitutes for joy.  C.S. Lewis

Christ is not only a remedy for your weariness and trouble, but he will give you an abundance of the contrary, joy and delight.  Jonathan Edwards

Seek joy in what you give not in what you get.  Author unknown

Joy is the experience of knowing that you are unconditionally loved.  Henri Nouwen

One filled with joy preaches without preaching.  Mother Teresa

BLESSED HOPE CH 7: HOPE OF HEAVEN

When I was diagnosed with cancer, I confronted thoughts of dying for the first time.  However, these thoughts were filled with hope as I thought of going to Heaven.  I experienced the joy of realizing that I would meet my Savior, Jesus Christ, face to face.  I praised God for my blessed salvation which would make this possible.  I also thought of seeing my dad and grandmother once again.  Both losses were difficult for me because I was extremely close to both of them.  As I thought of Heaven, I praised God for giving me hope in the midst of a cancer diagnosis.

MEMORY VERSE

“If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied” (1 Corinthians 15:19, NIV).

WHAT’S IN A WORD?

Heaven…

Heaven is “the abode of God, his angels, and the blessed” (Webster’s New World College Dictionary).  It is “a spiritual state of everlasting communion with God” (Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary).  It is “the eternal dwelling place of God” (Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words).

HIDDEN GEMS

“Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (Psalm 23:6, NIV).  As we live this life, goodness and love will indeed follow us.  We have the promise of hope as we look forward to dwelling with God forever in heaven.  We can praise Him for this wonderful promise.

“I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.  My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.  I and the Father are one” (John 10:28-30, NIV).

Read John 10:28-30.  What does Jesus give?

What shall we never do?

Who can snatch them out of His hand?

Who is greater than all?

Who is Jesus one with?

We will have eternal life in Heaven.  We can praise God for this awesome promise.  This gives us hope in today’s world.  The world is full of bad news but we have the good news to share with others.  When others are saved, they will spend eternal life with us in Heaven.

“Do not let your hearts be troubled.  You believe in God; believe also in me.  My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.  You know the way to the place where I am going” (John 14:1-4, NIV).

Read John 14:1-4.  What did Jesus tell us not to let our hearts be?

Who are we to believe in?

What does the Father’s house have?

What is Jesus doing?

What will Jesus come back to do?

What do we know?

It is easy to be distracted by everything that is going on in the world today.  However, we have the promise of Heaven.  Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us to be with Him forever.  We can praise God for this wonderful promise.

“But our citizenship is in heaven.  And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body” (Philippians 3:20-21, NIV).

Read Philippians 3:20-21.  What is our citizenship in?

Who do we eagerly await?

By what power does Jesus do this?

What will he transform our lowly bodies into?

We can look forward to the day when we receive glorious bodies.  We will have no sickness or disease.  We can praise God in Heaven for giving us new life in our Heavenly bodies.  We have the hope of Heaven to get us through whatever comes our way while here on earth.

YOUR HEART’S DESIRE

“For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands” (2 Corinthians 5:1, NIV).  We have an eternal house in Heaven.  We can look forward in hope to the day we meet Jesus face to face.

How do you think of Heaven?

How do you see Jesus in Heaven?

Who do you look forward to seeing in Heaven?

What do you look forward to most about Heaven?

“So that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:7, NIV).  We have the hope of eternal life.  In this life, we are limited by our earthly bodies.  However, when we get to Heaven, we will have glorious bodies.

PRAYER

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the promise of Heaven after I have spent my time in this world.  Thank You for no more sorrow or pain.  Let me be a living witness to others while here on this earth to offer them salvation with the hope of Heaven.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

NUGGETS OF WISDOM

A continual looking forward to the eternal world is not a form of escapism or wishful thinking, but one of the things a Christian is meant to do.  C.S. Lewis

Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people.  Lewis Sperry Chafer

Heaven will be the perfection we have always longed for.  All the things that made Earth unlovely and tragic will be absent in Heaven.  Billy Graham

God’s retirement plan is out of this world.  Author unknown

Earthly crowns are dross to him who looks for a heavenly one.  Jane Porter

BLESSED HOPE CH 6: HOPE IN HEALING

“Jodi, God is going to heal you.  More than that, He is going to make you whole.”  When I heard these words spoken to me, the only words that I heard was that God was going to heal me of the bipolar disorder.  I began going forward to healing lines at church, believing that this would be my time of complete healing from the bipolar disorder.  However, manic and depression episodes continued.  However, God was doing a work in me as I faced the pain of sexual abuse I experienced as a child.  As God slowly began healing me of this pain, I experienced the wholeness that was spoken over me.  Although I was not perfect, God took the shattered pieces of my past and made them into something beautiful.  This gave me hope to face whatever came my way.  I realized that being made whole was more important than any healing.  God also stabilized the bipolar disorder through medication.  I praised God for being my healer.

MEMORY VERSE

“He said, ‘If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you’” (Exodus 15:26, NIV).

WHAT’S IN A WORD?

Heal…

To heal is “to make sound, well, or healthy again; restore to health” (Webster’s New World College Dictionary).  It is “to make sound or whole” (Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary).  It is “to treat, cure…made whole” (Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words).

HIDDEN GEMS

“I said, ‘Have mercy on me, Lord; heal me, for I have sinned against you’” (Psalm 41:4, NIV).  God will indeed have mercy upon us when we sin.  He will heal us of all things that are according to His will for our lives.  Our God is the Great Healer.

“Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits – who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases” (Psalm 103:2-3, NIV).

Read Psalm 103:2-3.  What did David start our doing?

What are we not to forget about?

What does God forgive?

What does He heal?

I found great comfort in these Scriptures when I was facing colon cancer which had spread to my liver.  I looked to God for healing instead of a hard medical treatment regimen including chemotherapy and 2 surgeries.  I wanted quality of life and the ability to write.  I relied upon God’s promises to get me through this trying time.  God filled me with hope and joy and strength to face whatever came my way.

“When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place.  Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns.  When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick” (Matthew 14:13-14, NIV).

Read Matthew 14:13-14.  What did Jesus do on a boat?

Was He alone?

What did the crowds do?

How did Jesus react?

Jesus would often go to a solitary place to pray to His Father.  This would guide and direct His steps.  However, crowds would find out and follow Him.  I find great comfort that Jesus had compassion on them and healed their diseases.

“Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.  The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (James 5:16, NIV).

Read James 5:16. What are we to confess?

How are we to pray?

What will be the result of prayer?

What is the prayer of a righteous person?

The prayer of a righteous person is indeed powerful and effective.  We can cry out to God for help.  God blessed us with fellow believers who can pray for healing when we face illness and disease.  We will be strengthened with hope as we ask fellow believers to be there with us whatever we may face.

YOUR HEART’S DESIRE

We all face times of illness and disease.  We find comfort and strength as we turn to the Great Healer.  God may not heal us in the way we expect Him to but He always has the best in mind for us.  We can also find comfort with turning to other believers in our times of need.

Name a time when you faced an illness.

How did you feel?

How did you turn to God?

What did you pray for?

What Scripture spoke to you during this time?

How did fellow believers strengthen you?

How did this bring you peace and strength?

How did this bring you hope?

No matter the outcome, we can find hope in our Heavenly Father.  He will be there for us no matter the trial we face.  We can praise Him for His healing power.

PRAYER

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your healing power.  I pray that You heal me of the disease of _____________.  I pray that Your will to be done in my life.  Thank You for giving me hope.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

NUGGETS OF WISDOM

God heals, and the doctor takes the fee.  George Herbert

We are all healers who can reach out and offer health, and we are all patients in constant need of help.  Henri Nouwen

No wonder you are sick.  You are not linking yourself enough to the resources that bring healing.  Selwyn Hughes

The part can never be well unless the whole is well.  Plato

BLESSED HOPE CH 5: HOPE IN THE BIBLE

I will never forget the severe depression which followed my first manic episode.  I felt lost and hopeless.  I felt like I was in a deep hole with no way out.  However, God was right there for me when I reached out to Him.  He brought the Scripture to hold every thought captive.  I replied, “that is hard to do when my thoughts are racing one hundred words a second.”  However, I realized that this verse was invaluable to me as I faced subsequent manic and depression episodes.  God taught me to head off a potential manic episode through bringing my racing thoughts to Him.  This brought me peace.  I thanked God for giving me this verse to cling to which brought me freedom and hope to face whatever came my way through His Word.

MEMORY VERSE

“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” (Romans 15:4, NIV).

HIDDEN GEMS

God’s Word is truth.  It is reliable for us to depend upon.  God desires to make the Scriptures come alive for us.  We can praise God as He opens up His will for us through His Word.

“Never take your word of truth from my mouth, for I have put my hope in your laws” (Psalm 119:43, NIV).

Read Psalm 119:43. What did the psalmist ask of God?

What did the psalmist put his hope in?

We can place our hope in God’s Word.  God speaks to us through His Word.  God will guide and direct our steps as we come to Him in Bible study and prayer.  We will have His peace to face whatever comes our way.

“Your statutes are wonderful; therefore I obey them.  The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple” (Psalm 119:129-130, NIV).

Read Psalm 119:129-130.  How did the psalmist describe God’s statutes?

What did he do as a result?

What does the unfolding of God’s Word do?

Who does it give understanding to?

God’s Word is indeed wonderful.  We can praise Him for giving us His Word.  When we obey God and His Word, we will find true freedom.  It will give light to the path of obedience that we take. 

“Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ” (Romans 10:17, NIV).

Read Romans 10:17. Where does faith come from?

How is the message heard?

God’s Word is all about Jesus from the very beginning of Genesis to the end of Revelation.  We can share the hope that we have found through accepting Jesus to those who are lost in this world.  We indeed have the good news of the gospel to share and give hope to those who are lost.

YOUR HEART’S DESIRE

“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path” (Psalm 119:105, NIV).  God’s Word brings light in a dark world.  Those living without Jesus are walking in darkness.  We can praise God for giving us His Word which is a light on our path.

Name a time when you felt hopeless.

How did you feel?

How did you reach out to God?

What Scripture spoke to you during this time?

How did this strengthen your relationship with God?

“Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17, NIV).  God’s Word is living and active (Hebrews 4:12).  It is part of our armor that we can use to fight the enemy.  This will bring us victory as we read God’s Word and ask Him to illuminate the words on the page for us to apply them to everyday life and the trials we are facing.

PRAYER

Dear Heavenly Father, I pray that You illuminate my mind to understand Your Word that I am reading this day.  Fill me with timely truth as I go about this day.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

NUGGETS OF WISDOM

I believe the Bible is the best gift God has given to man.  Abraham Lincoln

Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ.  Jerome

Back to the Bible, or back to the jungle.  Luis Palau

When the Bible speaks, God speaks.  B.B. Warfield

I know the Bible is inspired because it finds me at a greater depth of my being than any other book.  Samuel Tayler Coleridge

BLESSED HOPE CH 4: HOPEFUL PRAYER

When I initially found out that the colon cancer had spread to my liver and bones, I was uncertain of my future.  However, I reached out to my friends and church family and felt strengthened in my faith.  I felt that I was held up by the prayers of others and experienced hope.  I thanked God for the prayers that others were lifting up on my behalf.  The doctors wanted to do a PET scan and the results came back that I did not have bone cancer.  I praised God for His answer to prayer.  This gave me hope to ask for more miracles as I faced a liver biopsy.  I believed God could do the miraculous and I left the results in His capable hands.  I thanked God for giving me hope in a stressful time.

MEMORY VERSE

“The Lord detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but the prayer of the upright pleases him” (Proverbs 15:8, NIV).

WHAT’S IN A WORD?

Prayer…

To pray is “to ask very earnestly; make supplication” (Webster’s New World College Dictionary).  It is “to address God…with adoration, confession, supplication, or thanksgiving” (Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary).  “Prayer is to be offered in the Name of the Lord Jesus…that is, the prayer must accord with His character, and must be presented in the same spirit of dependence and submission that marked Him” (Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words).

HIDDEN GEMS

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23, NIV).  We can hold onto the hope that God gives to all those who ask Him.  Hope gives us strength to face whatever comes our way with a good attitude.  When we have hope, we believe God can do all things on our behalf.

“After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray.  Later that night, he was there alone” (Matthew 14:23, NIV).

Read Matthew 14:23. What did Jesus do after He had dismissed the people?

Where did He go?

Jesus often went away to be alone to pray to His Father.  He realized the importance of connecting with His Father to guide Him every step of the way.  In the same way, we can find a place alone to pray.  This seclusion will increase our focus upon God as we pray to Him.

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.  We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans” (Romans 8:26, NIV).

Read Romans 8:26. What does the Spirit help us in?

What do we not know?

What does the Spirit do for us?

Through what does the Spirit intercede?

I found great comfort in this Scripture when I went through periods of depression.  I was at a loss for words but I knew I could cry out to God and express my inner pain.  I realized that the Holy Spirit would intercede on my behalf.  In this way, I was strengthened to overcome the depression in God’s strength instead of my own.

“So what shall I do?  I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my understanding; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my understanding” (1 Corinthians 14:15, NIV).

Read 1 Corinthians 14:15. What question did Paul ask?

What did he pray with?

What did he do with understanding?

How would he sing?

We can pray in the Spirit and gain understanding on what to do.  God delights in guiding and directing our steps when we come to Him.  We will find peace and joy as we come to Him for guidance.

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people” (Ephesians 1:18, NIV).

Read Ephesians 1:18. What did Paul pray that their heart be?

What did he desire for them to know?

What were the riches?

Our hearts can be enlightened when we come to God in prayer.  We can ask God for anything according to His will.  We have great riches as a result of Christ dying for our sins.  We have great freedom as we seek God’s direction.

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, NIV).

Read 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.  What are we to always do?

What are we to continually do?

What are we to do in all circumstances?

In Whom is this God’s will?

In my early Christian walk, I desired to know God’s will.  I felt baffled as I saw others walking in their calling.  When I came upon this Scripture, I found comfort and strength.  I began focusing on what these passages said to do and I found peace and contentment.

YOUR HEART’S DESIRE

In James 5:16, it says that the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.  We can reach out to God in prayer and believe that He hears us.  We can praise God and thank Him for guiding and directing our steps.

Name a time when you felt at a loss for words.

How did you feel?

How did you reach out to God in prayer?

How did God answer your plea?

How did this strengthen your Christian walk?

What did you find through this prayer?

We can find peace and contentment as we realize that God answers our prayers.  There is nothing too small for us to ask Him about.  We can then rejoice in thanksgiving for God’s answer to our prayers.

PRAYER

Dear Heavenly Father, I come to You this day for help.  I realize that I cannot face each day without spending time with You in prayer.  In this way, I find hope and strength.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

NUGGETS OF WISDOM

If God does not give us what we crave, He will give us what we need.  Thomas Watson

A godly man is a praying man.  Thomas Watson

The finest of God’s blessings is to be found in secret prayer.  C.H. Spurgeon

If you learn it upon your knees you will never unlearn it.  C.H. Spurgeon

The more you pray, the easier it becomes.  The easier it becomes, the more you will pray.  Mother Teresa

BLESSED HOPE CH 3: HOPE IN GOD’S STRENGTH

I will never forget how I felt when I have been in the hospital for depression.  I felt so lost and hopeless.  I was alone in my negative thoughts.  I cried out to God.  God was right there for me.  He never left me in the pit.  God always lifted me out and set my feet on solid ground once again.  God was the one who gave me hope to persevere during these trials of depression.  When I returned home, I praised God for getting me through the depressions in His strength instead of my own.  This gave me hope to face whatever came my way.

MEMORY VERSE

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.  My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him” (Psalm 28:7, NIV).

WHAT’S IN A WORD?

Strength…

Strength is “morally powerful; having strength of character or will” (Webster’s New World College Dictionary).  It is “having moral…power” (Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary).  It is “power…force, might” (Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words). 

HIDDEN GEMS

“Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord” (Psalm 31:24, NIV).  When we hope in the Lord, our faith is strengthened.  We may feel weak at times in our Christian walk but God is right there to give us the strength to persevere during our trials in life.

“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.  It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain” (Hebrews 6:19, NIV).

Read Hebrews 6:19. What is hope for the soul?

What two things is hope described as?

Hope is indeed an anchor for our souls.  Anchors help stabilize us in our trials.  They are firm and secure as we hope in the Lord.  We can praise God for being there through every trial that we face.

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.  My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him” (Psalm 28:7, NIV).

Read Psalm 28:7. How did David describe the Lord?

What trusted in Him?

What does God do as a result?

What did David heart do?

How did David praise God?

Our hearts can leap for joy as God gives us strength to face each day.  God desires for us to live in the moment instead of the past or future.  When we focus upon the past or future, we will be weighed down with anxiety.  When we trust in God, we will find peace to face whatever comes our way.

“The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace” (Psalm 29:11, NIV).

Read Psalm 29:11. What does the Lord give to His people?

How does the Lord bless His people?

I always am at peace when I rely upon God’s strength instead of my own strength.  When we rely upon our own strength, we can be overwhelmed by the burden.  However, God desires to give us His strength as we lay our burdens upon Him.

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1, NIV).

Read Psalm 46:1. How is God described?

What is God in times of trouble?

Today’s world is full of bad news.  We may become anxious when we focus upon what is going on around us.  However, God desires to be our strength.  However, we must focus upon Him instead of the burdens of the world.

“For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength” (1 Corinthians 1:25, NIV).

Read 1 Corinthians 1:25. What is wiser than human wisdom?

What is stronger than human strength?

In my early years, I thought I was wise and smart.  I thought this would make me right with God.  However, it was only when God humbled me through the bipolar disorder that I relied upon God’s strength and wisdom.  In the same way, we can rely upon God’s strength and wisdom which is so much better than our own.

YOUR HEART’S DESIRE

“I can do all things through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13, NIV).  This was my favorite verse as I faced the trials brought on by the bipolar disorder.  I felt hopeless at times but when I reached out to God, He was always there to give me strength.

Name a trial when you felt weak.

How did you react to this weakness?

How did you reach out to God?

What Scripture spoke to you during this time?

How did this strengthen your relationship with God?

“I love you, Lord, my strength” (Psalm 18:1, NIV).  We can love our God because He is always there for us.  We can have hope as we rely upon Him to carry us through any trial we face.  We can then praise God for getting us through to the other side and strengthening our faith in the process.

PRAYER

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for being my hope and my strength.  I love You, Lord, and I pray that You grant me the strength to face whatever comes my way this day.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

NUGGETS OF WISDOM

It is not armor as armor, but as armor of God, that makes the soul impregnable.  William Gurnall

The way to grow strong in Christ is to become weak in yourself.  C.H. Spurgeon

BLESSED HOPE CH 2: HOPE IN TRIALS

Colon cancer that had spread to my liver and bones.  When I received this report from the CT scan, I was shaken.  However, I reached out to the prayer chain at church and my friends in other states.  The doctor wanted to do a PET scan to confirm the diagnosis.  As I waited for the day of the PET scan, I began to believe in God’s promises like never before.  When the day of the PET scan arrived, the prayers of others built me up and gave me hope.  I began believing that God would do a mighty work in this trial.  When the PET scan results came in, it reported no bone cancer!  I praised God for His healing touch.  I also thanked God for the many who prayed for me to give me hope in this trial and played a key role in the bone cancer being gone.

MEMORY VERSE

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance” (James 1:2-3, NIV).

WHAT’S IN A WORD?

Trials…

Trial means “the act or process of trying, testing, or putting to the proof; test” (Webster’s New World College Dictionary).  It is “a test of faith, patience, or stamina through subjection to suffering or temptation” (Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary). 

Hope…

Hope is “desire accompanied by expectation” (Webster’s New World College Dictionary).  It is “to desire with expectation of attainment” (Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary).  It is “favorable and confident expectation…the happy anticipation of good” (Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words).

HIDDEN GEMS

We may think of trials as a negative part of our Christian walk.  God desires to give us hope in the midst of our suffering.  When we cling to the hope of the Lord, we can look to Him who gives us the strength to persevere when enduring trials and suffering.

“Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  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” (Romans 5:3-5, NIV).

Read Romans 5:3-5.  What do we glory in?

What does suffering produce?

What does perseverance produce?

What does character produce?

What does not put us to shame?

What has been poured out into our hearts?

Who has been given to us?

Suffering produces an abundance of treasures in our lives.  When we are patient in the process of suffering and reach out to God for His strength to persevere, He will never let us down.  The Holy Spirit has been given to us as a gift to overcome our suffering.

“Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring” (2 Thessalonians 1:4, NIV).

Read 2 Thessalonians 1:4. What did Paul boast about?

What were the Thessalonians enduring?

Perseverance and increased faith are produced by trials.  When we endure out trials, God will bring good out of them.  When we reach out to God for His strength, He is right there for us.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:2-4, NIV).

Read James 1:2-4. What are we to consider trials?

What does the testing of our faith produce?

What are we to allow to finish its work?

What two things will we then be?

“‘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).  God indeed has plans to give us hope and a future.  Although we may go through trials, God is there for us every step of the way to guide us through to the other side.  As we reach the other side, we are strengthened in our faith and gain a hope produced by overcoming trials.

YOUR HEART’S DESIRE

Trials – something we may try to avoid.  However, we will experience trials at times during our time on earth.  When we cry out to God, He will give us hope in the midst of our suffering.

Name a trial in your life where you felt overwhelmed.

How did you react?

How did you reach out to God?

What Scripture spoke to you during this time?

What was produced in you as a result of your trial?

How did this strengthen your Christian walk?

“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).  What a promise!  The crown of life is promised by the Lord in the Scriptures.  We can have hope in the midst of trials.  This will bring good out of the trials.

PRAYER

Dear Heavenly Father, I pray that you grant me hope in the midst of the trials I endure.  I pray that you bring good out of the suffering.  I praise You for always being there for me in the midst of the trial and giving me hope in the midst of it.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

NUGGETS OF WISDOM

God tries our faith so that we may try his faithfulness.  Author unknown

Great faith must have great trials.  Author unknown

The saint never knows the joy of the Lord in spite of tribulation, but because of it.  Oswald Chambers

In tribulation, immediately draw near to God with trust, and you will receive strength, enlightenment, and instruction.  John of the Cross

The hotter the fire, the purer the gold.  Charles Stanley