Be Still: 30 Devotions for the Hopeful HeartSample

Knowing the Hope Giver

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. ROMANS 15:13 NIV

Oftentimes we think that if we could just change our viewpoint, that would be the answer to all our problems. We have been told that perspective is powerful, which is certainly true, but we miss a crucial point. What if instead of searching for a different pair of glasses, we focus on the Hand that is moving us forward? Our route would then become all about who is leading us, trusting the plan of the Guide and His wisdom on this treasure map called life.

God is not holding hope in a jar, choosing to delve out amounts according to our allegiance. He does not desire to ration our supply or “teach us a lesson.” Oh no. He is generous beyond belief and yearns for our pursuit of His heart so that we may become more like Him.

Remember, the only way to attain a heavenly perspective is to spend time with the One who made heaven itself—the One who knows what forever really looks like and what it expects from us now. If we want to share the hope we have found, we must know the hope we have found.

Are we hopeful because our life looks as promised, or are we hopeful because we know the Giver of hope and firmly believe that He has our best interests at heart? Life will never keep the same set of circumstances; even in the mundane, our situations evolve, and our resources change. This uncertainty can scare us, or it can draw us in, searching for our Savior and the security of His character amid the unknown. With the Giver of hope as our guide, we can have the same assuredness in our steps on our hardest and our happiest days.

Lord, thank You for being the Giver of all hope. As we go about our day, remind us that hope is who You are, the very nature of Your being. Let us draw near, spend time with You, and be reassured that because we can trust Your heart, we can always have hope beyond our situations. In Jesus’s name, amen.