Something happens and our heart is torn. Our minds reels through the crisis. We want to trust the Lord but it’s hard to hold on. Our hope begins to falter.
What do we do to hang on and restore our hope? Going to God’s Word and listening to the His encouraging and soothing words, this is where our hope comes from–Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 1:3 NIV “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,”
Ephesians 1:18 NIV “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people,”
We will be looking at Ephesians 1:18 to establish a way of restoring our hope:
- Eyes of Heart may be enlightened
- You May Know the Hope
- This Hope: The Riches of His Glorious Inheritance
- Conclusion: Practical Steps to Restore Hope
Eyes of Heart may be enlightened
Enlightenment is about coming to the knowledge of the truth and the place to get that enlightment is the Bible.
Psalm 119:114 NIV “You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word.”
Going to scripture is the way to know about God’s hope and how we can hold on to it throughout any crisis. The Lord doesn’t leave us to our own devices, but gives us the tools to help in whatever problem we have.
Our God is a God of hope.
Romans 15:13 NIV “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.”
With His hope, comes blessings of joy and peace as we trust in Him. Through the Holy Spirit we overflow with hope.
You May Know the Hope
Hebrews 10:23 NIV “ Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”
We need confidence in our hope. God has proven to be faithful to His promises throughout the ages. The Bible is full of examples. We can trust Him to fulfill our hope in Him.
Titus 1:1-2 NIV “Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ to further the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness—in the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time,”
If God were not truthful, He would no longer be effective. Without truth, nothing will stand. God is perfect and He does not lie. We have confidence that His promises are true.
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 NIV “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
Our hope is not based on things that can be seen. That can be difficult to humans because we depend so much on what we can see and touch. This can cause us to lose heart and hope if we don’t have our eyes set on things of eternity.
This Hope: The Riches of His Glorious Inheritance
We are talking about Heaven and all that the Father has in store for us in eternity as His heirs.
1 Peter 1:3-4 NIV “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you,”
In this verse we see 4 attributes of this inheritance.
- Will never perish– That should be impressive to us, because everything in our life goes away. Think about it, people we love will not go away. We can enjoy their presence forever.
- Unspoiled-We will see everything in perfection. Our view will be without flaws.
- Will not fade-We will stay young and healthy, flowers will bloom all the time.
- It is reserved-Our inheritance has our name on it! Got Questions.org
Conclusion: Practical Steps to Restore Hope
Place Your Hope in the Right Place
Proverbs 13:12 NIV “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.”
Sometimes, our hope has been placed where it doesn’t belong. If we are hoping for something false, hope is useless and we can become discouraged.
There are some false teachings that show up in our lives that will never give us hope.
- Works Salvation: Believing that you are capable of saving yourself by your good works. If you have placed your hope in this, you will be disappointed.
Titus 3:5-7 NIV “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”
Jesus made it plain about the way to the Father. “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'” John 14:6 NIV.
- Prosperity Gospel: God blesses us for our faith with good health and wealth.
1 Timothy 6:5 NIV “and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.”
Salvation is never about money. God does not promise we will be rich or without sickness. If you are hoping in these things, your hope is useless.
Ask the Lord to Help You
Romans 15:13 NIV “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.”
Ask the Lord to replace your feeling of hopelessness. He will fill you with joy and peace and you will overflow with His hope.
As a Christian, you have the Holy Spirit dwelling in you. He will give you the power to overcome hopelessness. All He has comes from the Lord, let Him change your mindset.
Meditate on These Verses
Hebrews 4:12 NIV “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
We often do not realize how powerful God’s Word is. It is alive and working to penetrate our thinking. Look how long it’s been around, and it hasn’t diminished at all.
Take the verses from this post and read them carefully. Memorize those that are your favorites, make them a part of your life. You will be happy that you did.
Join a Christian Community
Hebrews 10:24-25 NIV “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
One way to overcome hopelessness is by meeting with other Christians. God’s plan involves Christians building a community together. Going to church, life groups, or Bible studies can introduce you to others who are having the same problem, or have experienced it in the past.
Someone living according to God’s way will be able to encourage and help you find a resolution to your problem.
I want to encourage you to talk to the Lord and tell Him exactly how you feel. He wants you to have joy in your life.
If I can help, please leave a comment. -Jackie
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