Submitted by Bernice Driskell
"Hope opens doors when despair closes them.
Hope draws its power from a great or deep trust in God and the basic goodness of mankind.
Hope regards problems, small or large, as opportunities.
Hope cherishes no illusions, nor does it yield to cynicism.
Hope lights the candle instead of cursing the darkness.
Hope looks for the good in people instead of harping on the worst of them.
Hope discusses what can be done instead of grumbling about what cannot be done."
Author - Father James Keller
One of the most fundamental questions in life is: Is there hope? This question surfaces in life in different ways. We can go forty days without food, three days without water, several minutes without air; but we cannot survive without hope.
What situation are you facing in which you need hope? "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of thingsnot seen." (Hebrews 11:1) "If only in this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable." (II Corinthians 15:19) "And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three..." (I Corinthians 13:13a)
Don't ever give up. Your mind will play tricks on you and get you depressed. Your heart will tell you - always have hope. Keep believing. Faith is now, but hope is future. Remember the story of the Syro-Phoenican woman. (Matthew 15:21-28) Jesus helped her; He will also help us. He "is the same yesterday, today and for ever." (Hebrews 13:8) Hallelujah!
Why is hope so important? Without hope we lose our motivation for life, family and ministry. Without hope we tend to go backward, instead of forward. Without hope we retreat for godly vision and follow the flesh, instead of the Spirit. Without hope we have no target for our faith to aim at, no direction for our faith to work toward. The hope I'm referring to is not the natural hope of society. That hope is merely wishing. Biblical hope means the confident expectation of good things. It involves patience. If you can't see God wanting to bless you with confident expectation, then you've lost your hope. Paul says our hope distinguishes us fromt he unbeliever who has no hope beyond this world. (I Thessalonians 4:13-14)
God wants to bless you so you can bless others. Do you have a target for your hope and faith to work toward? If not, your faith has possibly become dormant and ineffective. The Holy Spirit wants us to have hope and be dispensers of hope to people in hopeless situations. That hope is the Lord!
"Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God." (Psalm 146:5) "And we desire that every one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end." (Hebrews 6:11) "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ." (Titus 2:13)
Editor's Note: Bernice Driskell attends More Life Tabernacle in Swartz Crrek, Michigan - Pastor Jerry F. Stoner. This article with credit given to the writings of Father James Keller, a Roman Catholic priest and former leader of the Christopehers, is reprinted from prior editions of the Apostolic Writers Digest.
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