New Year, New HopeSample

Hope

Thanks be to God, there is hope today; this very hour you can choose Him and serve him. — D. L. Moody

Have you ever felt hopeless, worthless, or just downright useless? I believe we all have those days, months, or even years when we feel like we are nothing but a shadow in a world of color—like our existence is meaningless, or that the day of our birth was a catastrophic mistake in the space-time continuum.

And while all of those things might feel very real to you, I’m here to tell you that they’re wrong. In fact, they’re straight-up lies. And that’s not just my opinion.

Jeremiah 1:5 states, “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.” Did you catch that? God knew you before He formed you in your mother’s womb. He knew you before you were born. And on top of that, He set you apart from the beginning of time to be someone of substantial worth in His name. . . . 

God is the author of all hope. Hope brightens the darkened soul; it breaks the slave’s chains; it sustains those in spiritual exile and comforts those in a place of suffering. When our hope is in God, our spirits cannot be crushed.

The apostle Paul is an amazing example of this enduring Christian hope. He wrote letters of hope and encouragement to churches all over . . . from prison. Alone and in chains, Paul had so much hope from the Holy Spirit that he felt compelled to put pen to paper and share it with everyone else! I don’t know of anything else in the world that can give someone in such bad circumstances a powerful sense of hope.

This year is the year to focus on the hope that God has purposed for your life, a year to break away from Satan’s lies and realize you are intended for a life with God. Don’t let people’s opinions interfere with God’s directions for you.

Will this mean things are going to be perfect? No. But this does mean that you have someone in your life who gives you worth, acceptance, and love.

Challenge: 

Discuss the hope of your Savior with someone who has yet to know it, and encourage him or her to personally discover the wonder of God’s love.

We hope this plan encouraged you. Learn how to unlock your Bible study’s full potential in this free ebook.

This reading plan is adapted from 30 Words: A Devotional for the Rest of Us by Jarrid Wilson (Lexham Press, Bellingham, WA), 2016.