"Put your hope in God" - Psalm 42:5

Our psalmist in today's verse may have been in exile, away from all he loved, including his worship time with the Lord.  He was downcast (the opposite of  hopeful) and felt forgotten and oppressed;  but his faith was strong and he knew to go "deep" and remind himself of God's promises.  When we cling to those promises we know to be true in His word, our hope is renewed.  Our hearts must learn to trust even when we cannot see or feel God's presence. 

I saw a clip on The Today Show this morning of the young girl in Georgia who has been afflicted with the flesh-eating disease and has lost limbs.  What a joy to see the smile on her face when she was able to go outside and enjoy the sunshine.  Her dad, with a smile on his face, said because of prayer they were able to be grateful and joyful in the midst of this trial.  Here's great news:  joy follows hope...it is the fruit of  hope.  Henri Nouwen in HERE AND NOW says:
           
                              "When we trust profoundly that today is the day of the Lord
                              and that tomorrow is safely hidden in God's love, our faces
                              can relax, and we can smile back at the One who smiles at us."

Hope is found in no one else but God.  As we look around the world today, despair rises up.  But Chuck Colson said: "Despair is a sin because it denies the sovereignty of God."  This is what I know to be true:
--God is love (1 John 4:16)
--In Him there is no darkness (1 John 1:5)
--He has a plan and it is good (Jeremiah 29:11)
--We have life in His Son (John 3:16)
--I will never be separated from His love (Romans 8:38)

This pillow sits on our bed:

Who can you encourage with hope today?

For further study:  Job 13:15, Psalm 71:14, Psalm 73:26,  Proverbs 13:12, Isaiah 40:31, Romans 8:24, 28, 1 Corinthians 13:13, 1 Timothy 6:17-19, Titus 2:11-14, Hebrews 6:17-20 and 10:23, 1 John 3:1-3.

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

Love,

Holly