Choose Hope

Warm fuzzy feelings won't change your heart, but radical hope from God will transform your life.

When I was a kid, warm fuzzies were enough to change my perspective on life. When I was scared or worried or stressed, all I had to do was to think positively. I could remember things my parents told me about how much God loved me, or I could focus on a cute platitude that made me feel better. I'd calm down pretty fast.

But, I’m not a kid anymore, and I’ve noticed that those things don’t really work for grown ups.

Warm fuzzy feelings are nice, but in an adult world they don't accomplish much. They're about as useful as a screen door on a submarine, to quote the old song lyrics. I need something more solid than a warm feeling or a positive mental attitude or a cute prayer to recite.

I need radical hope—hope that infuses me with strength and courage and the will to keep marching onward even when the battle is long.

Hope like that isn’t wishful thinking. It’s possible to have hope that creates confidence, but we need to understand what that kind of hope is—and what it’s not.

Hope isn't a fluffy ethereal sort of thing that you chase like shadows. It's not like cloud gazing where you can only guess at the shapes. Hope is a specific choice we make to trust in a specific belief.

That means, Biblical hope is trusting God to keep His promises.

God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?

Numbers 23:19 (NLT)

Biblical hope isn't idealistic or pollyannish. It's also not about living in denial of our challenges. Acknowledging the difficulties we face is healthy and good, but too often we focus solely on our obstacles and not enough on who God is.

That's where our Hope comes from. Who God is. So let's not forget that, even if we're facing a situation that feels hopeless. He is bigger than any problem in our lives, and that means I can choose Hope.

How will you choose hope today?

Questions for Reflection

• Who is God to you?

• What are you trusting Him for today?

• How can you live with hope today?

Week 48 Memory Verse: