I have been thinking a lot about hope recently and what hope is. Perhaps it is all that has happened this year which has brought these thoughts more to my mind.

I hear a lot of people say that they can’t wait for the New Year, bring on 2021, as quickly as possible in the hope that it will be different to this year.

I have started to realise that hope is not as easy to define as I thought and can be easily misunderstood. My hope in the past was not always properly formed and I think when I reflect was either a false hope, misguided optimism or wishful thinking on my part.

So then when things did not turn out as I had hoped, I was disappointed. When disappointment took hold that led me down a slippery slope of all sorts of other negative emotions and thoughts. It can shake your confidence and faith. It can crush your spirit and make you feel like giving up.

“When hope is crushed, the heart is crushed”
Proverbs 13:12

Disappointment can be the doorway for negative thoughts and emotions and bitterness can start to take root if we are not careful. Guard the door of your heart against disappointment.

Let us encourage each other, to build ourselves up on a solid foundation which cannot be shaken. The cornerstone of our faith and hope is Jesus.

Hope is formed in us through tests and trials. It comes through the hard times. It is developed in those times when we travel through the valley and experience the love and faithfulness of God. We trust in Him to know the best outcome for us. Not my will but His perfect will formed in me.

“We also boast of our troubles, because we know that trouble produces endurance, endurance brings God’s approval, and his approval creates hope. This hope does not disappoint us, for God has poured out his love into our hearts by means of the Holy Spirit, who is God’s gift to us.”
Romans 5:3-5

Whatever difficult circumstances you are going through I pray that perfect hope will take root in your heart and mind. If there is disappointment or bitterness, then I pray the Holy Spirit will bring revelation and show you how this has affected your life. That He will lead you to release and healing from all its effects in your life. That your joy will be restored. 🙏

Let your hope keep you joyful, be patient in your troubles, and pray at all times.
Romans 12:12

Blessings to you this day in Jesus name.