All Things New: 21 Day DevotionalPrøve

Growing Strong in Hope

As a child, I joined my school’s Track and Field team as a runner. One of the most memorable moments of my time in Track and Field was when I participated in my first competition! Looking back, my race event probably only lasted less than five minutes, but at that time, it felt much longer than that. Nevertheless, it was the vision of winning and the hope of the finish line that kept me going. I will never forget how amazing it felt when I crossed the finish line knowing that I had done well!

Hope is the expectation of good in our lives and it helps us to finish well. My hope of the finish line kept me going for five minutes. Caleb held on to the promise of his inheritance in the Promised Land – hope kept him going for 45 years! Whether it is for five minutes or 45 years, hope keeps us believing and running our race.

As we navigate through our life on earth, sometimes we focus on the temporal things we face, and our short-sightedness robs us of our hope. Even as the Israelites wandered in the wilderness, Caleb could have focused on the circumstances around him and allowed it to dampen his hope. 

Instead, he set his sight on God’s promise to Israel, and that hope and vision of his inheritance kept him physically and mentally strong at 85, just as he was 45 years ago! At the end of 45 years, he was hungry to take his inheritance, which Joshua gave to him!

“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)

The Bible tells us that God is our source of overflowing, confident hope. Let us ask God to fill us with His hope and to revive the dreams He has placed in our hearts, even those from many years ago.

Reflection

What are the dreams that God has placed in your heart? Ask God to pour fresh hope onto these dreams and revive them.

What are some things that can take away your hope in God’s dreams for your life? How can you overcome these obstacles to have strong hope?

Prayer

God, You are my source of hope. You are faithful to fulfil every promise. I choose to fix my eyes on Your promises instead of the circumstances. Fill me with confident expectation in Your word and my future.