Hope Is a Person Sample
Keeping hope alive
Imagine with me, Paul sitting in a dark prison cell, peering beyond the bars at the Roman guards dressed in the uniform of their time. In Ephesians 6, he describes an entire list of spiritual protection, paralleling the soldier’s armor.
“Put on God’s complete set of armor...so you will be protected as you fight against the evil strategies of the accuser!”
While all the parts are extremely important, in my opinion, the “helmet of salvation” he speaks of in verse 17 is most vital in this battle. The helmet protects our mind—the control center for our feelings, attitudes, emotions, and choices—from agreeing with the profusion of assaulting thoughts hurled by our enemy. Without activating this strong protection we will allow our feelings and emotions to lead our attitudes and choices. We need to be aware when our hope is under attack, reach for our salvation helmet, and put it on.
Jesus won our salvation—our redemption from eternal death and our bridge to Father God—by offering His life in replacement for our own. He bought us at a great price and now we are His. Often we forget that Jesus defeated death, securing Hope that will never end. Living from this gift is the greatest protection against the enemy who is out to steal our hope and kill our faith. The salvation won for us defines not only our inheritance, but also our identity. This helmet protects our wandering thoughts, bringing them back into alignment with our salvation, as we remember who we are and what He has given us.
Every hope we have can only be fully grounded in our “hope of salvation” because Jesus is the hope of our salvation. His rescue of us from death is not an “after life is over” promise. Abundant life—faith in Him—is a promise that begins right now. Hope in Him keeps our faith alive as we choose to define our expectations by His character—His trustworthiness, faithfulness, and love for us.
Even if the thread of our own hope is thin and frayed and our dreams and expectations are gone, it’s not too late for us! We need to hold tightly to something stronger than our own disappointed thoughts, something beyond what is visible to our eyes. Jesus is our secure life-line reaching to the secure Anchor of God’s love. Hope will remain alive when we choose to grab on with both hands, because His hope holds us up even when our lives are altered, our “normal” is shattered, and our expectations aren’t met.
We mourn our losses while looking forward in hope. Forward is a good place to look because Jesus is already there, waiting with new mercies and abundant grace for the next season. He invites us, “Come, follow Me”.
When we use our salvation to trust that God has our tomorrow we will find the confidence to face today. And when we take our last breath this side of Paradise, our next breath will be in His glorious presence. He is our Hope!
Hope is the practice of believing God will get you from here...to there. Hope in Him moves beyond the disappointments of today and offers confident hope for the possibilities of tomorrow, because Hope is a Person.
“Now may God, the inspiration and fountain of hope, fill you to overflowing with uncontainable joy and perfect peace as you trust in him. And may the power of the Holy Spirit continually surround your life with his super-abundance until you radiate with hope!”
Romans 15:13 TPT
Connect with Robin on Instagram @manymeadows or manymeadows@gmail.com
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About this Plan
When our normal is shattered from life-altering experiences we are often left with fear, anxiety, heartbreak, and disappointment, eventually leading us to despair. Our hopes and dreams are dimmed by the hard reality of life. But hope isn’t just a fleeting wish, Hope is a Person!
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