The Gift of Hope

19 6 / 2013

“Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see” (Hebrews 11:1, NLT)

So many people today get down and discouraged because they only focus on their present circumstances. They’re constantly dwelling on their problems, what they don’t have, and what’s wrong with them. They don’t realize it, but they’re allowing the enemy to steal their hope. This negative frame of mind is what keeps people from moving forward in life.

Understand today that faith is confidence and assurance about the things we hope for according to the promises of God. Like an arrow, your faith points to the target of hope. If you don’t have hope, that arrow of faith has nothing to aim for. It won’t accomplish anything. But when you keep your hopes up, when you keep expecting and believing, it’s like making that target larger and larger and easier to hit!

Choose today to live with an attitude of expectancy. Don’t focus on your circumstances; focus on your God! Get your hopes up! Take captive every negative thought. As you focus on God’s goodness and faithfulness, you’ll feel that hope inside of you growing. Give your faith a target and move forward confidently in the direction of your dreams!

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12 6 / 2013

spiritualinspiration:

…an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. ‘Joseph, son of David,’ the angel said, ‘do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit.’ (Matthew 1:20, NLT.)

Have you ever felt overwhelmed or even afraid of what God has called you to do? Maybe you were pursuing a dream or goal and things didn’t turn out the way you planned. Joseph had planned to take Mary as his wife, but when he found out she was pregnant, he didn’t know what to think. He was afraid that he might be making a mistake because things didn’t turn out the way he planned. But, God sent a messenger in a dream to reassure Joseph that he was on the right path.

Today let me reassure you that God knows right where you are, and He knows how to get you to where you need to be. Even when things don’t go the way you planned, His hand is on you. Do not be afraid. Trust that God is working behind the scenes on your behalf, and that He will lead you into the life of blessing that He has prepared for you.

Prayer for Today:

Father in heaven, I choose to trust in You. Even when things don’t go the way I planned, I know You are at work in my life. Thank You for Your perfect love which casts out all fear. I love You and surrender every area of my life to You in Jesus’ name. Amen.

(via ohyahweh)

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11 5 / 2013

spiritualinspiration:

Are you ready for a new chapter in your life? Sometimes, in order to move forward into the blessing God has for you, you have to be willing to let go of the old. The things that are behind you are not nearly as important as what is out in front of you. It’s time to get ready for the new!

You may have had some unfair things happen, things that you don’t understand; but let me tell you, you have come too far to stop now. Instead of allowing those things to hold you back, why don’t you let go and take a step of faith into the new? It’s time to get a new, bigger vision; it’s time to get a new, fresher outlook; it’s time to rise up with a new attitude! Instead of settling where you are, pick up and move forward. Have the attitude that says, “I may not understand it; it may not have been fair, but I am not getting stuck on this page. I know God has a new chapter for me — a chapter filled with blessings, favor and victory!”

(via freed-and-restored)

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11 5 / 2013

spiritualinspiration:

Seven Secrets of a Confident Woman
by Joyce Meyer

Secret #1 A confident woman knows that she is loved

The first and most important secret to being a confident woman is to know that you are loved by God unconditionally. Romans 5:8 says, …God shows and clearly proves His [own] love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) died for us. Even if your natural father did not really love you properly, you can still get the love and acceptance you missed in your childhood from God.

Secret #2—A Confident Woman Refuses To Live In Fear

I think you will agree that refusing to be led by our feelings can be a challenge, especially when it comes to fear. But we must remember that fear is not from God. It is the devil’s tool to keep us from enjoying our lives and moving forward with what God has for us. When we attempt to walk in faith, Satan immediately tries to hinder us through many things, including fear. Fear of failure, judgment or criticism will cause us to bury our talents. It will make us draw back and live in misery and torment. Unless we make a firm decision to “fear not,” we will never be free from its power.

Secret #3—A Confident Woman Is Positive

Being negative and being confident do not go together. Like oil and water, they just don’t mix. Being negative opens the door to a lot of problems and disappointments, which fuels the fire for more negativity. Fear is the “dark room” where all your negatives are developed. So why not look at the brighter side of life and believe something good is going to happen to you?

Secret #4—A Confident Woman Recovers From Setbacks

In this life you and I are inevitably going to experience setbacks. The important thing is that we not see them as failures. We are not a failure just because we try something that doesn’t work. It’s only when we stop trying that we fail. The truth is, many people get confused when they’re trying to figure out what they’re supposed to do with their lives. This was definitely true in my life. I discovered my destiny by trial and error.

Secret #5—A Confident Woman Avoids Comparison

It is impossible to walk in confidence and compare ourselves with others at the same time. No matter how good we look or how talented, smart and successful we are, there is always someone who is better than us. I believe that confidence is found in doing the best we can with what we have. God wants us to find joy in being the best we can be, not in competing or comparing ourselves with others.

Secret #6—A Confident Woman Does Not Live In “If Only” And “What If”

One of the worst things you and I can do is to focus on what we don’t have or have lost and fail to take an inventory of what we do have. I call it living in a state of “if only.” Does this sound familiar: “If only I had more education…more money…more opportunity. If only I were taller, shorter, older, younger…” and the list goes on.

Secret #7—A Confident Woman Takes Action

I have heard it said that there are two types of people in the world: those who wait for something to happen and those who make something happen. It’s true that we need to be careful not to get ahead of God, but we also must be mindful not to be lagging behind. I believe we need to step out into things and find out what God has for us. As I said earlier, if we make a mistake it is not the end of the world.

As a believer, Christ lives inside you, and you’ve got what it takes! I believe that as you seek the Lord and apply these seven secrets to your life, you too will begin experiencing the boldness and confidence God desires you to walk in.