Hope for the Best

I pray that God, who gives hope, will bless you with complete happiness and peace because of your faith. And may the power of the Holy Spirit fill you with hope.

Romans 15:13 (CEV)

I will fix this. I can do it. I will make it happen.

What are you trying to do on your own?

In this culture, we are taught to value independence. Hard work will get you what you want. Pull yourself up by your bootstraps. Just get it done!

All of this is good except too often it ignores the God factor. Hope in yourself and your own abilities is a fragile, wobbly ladder. But hope in God? That’s solid granite. He can do more than we can, in ways we could never imagine.

Today’s Bible verse talks about a special hope that we receive from God. It is the hope of all hopes, because it comes through the salvation we have through Jesus Christ. When Jesus gave his life on the cross, he paid the ultimate price for our wrongdoing. He did this so we could have a true relationship with him now and a future with him in heaven.

So the next time you find yourself putting hope in your own works or strength, remember that Jesus has already done all the hard work on the cross. Read today’s Bible verse and take hold of the great hope he offers you freely—a hope that will never fail!

SPIRITUAL FITNESS TRAINING

What is the difference between placing our hope in things of this world versus placing our hope in God? Think about where each of those hopes will lead. Think about how confident you are in whether each will actually happen. Write your thoughts in a journal or on some paper.

INSPIRATION

“What gives me the most hope every day is God’s grace; knowing that his grace is going to give me the strength for whatever I face, knowing that nothing is a surprise to God.”

—Rick Warren, pastor and author

KEEP IT GOING

Related passages: These additional verses will help you expand Scriptural knowledge and place on the armor of God’s Word to tackle each day. Swipe to read the passages today.

Job 13:15

Psalm 42:5

1 Thessalonians 5:23–24

Hebrews 11:1

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This devotional was written by Tonia Gutting for the Hero Squad Program of the American Bible Society. Hero Squad provides complimentary faith-based resources to strengthen and encourage Military families through God’s Word. For more information or to enroll your Military family, check out our website.www.myherosquad.org.