Renewed Hope
What kinds of things renew your hope?
Verse of the Day
‘When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.’
Today’s Devotional
When I think about my own answer to the question above, the kinds of things that renew my hope are hearing stories of goodness in other people’s lives. When I hear a story of how someone received an answer to prayer, it renews my hope. When I hear about someone choosing Kingdom actions over worldly actions, it renews my hope.
Yesterday, someone shared with me how they were actively looking for how God was showing up in their day, and they kept a journal with them all throughout their work day. Then they shared with me the things they wrote over the course of the day, the different ways God showed Himself. That definitely renews my hope.
Psalm 94 is a bit dark. There is a call for God to take vengeance on evil people, and some descriptions of evil behavior. There are several times of back-and-forth between angst over the state of the world and then declarations of God’s goodness. Here are my lessons from this Psalm today:
-Being a person of faith does not mean that I will be emotionally stable at all times.
-The best place to vent my angst and instability is to God.
-Having doubts is not wrong or sinful.
-Taking my doubts and fears to God is the only effective way to handle them.
-I can declare God’s might and power over my troubling situations BEFORE there is any resolution.
If, as today’s verse says, the comfort of God gives me renewed hope and cheer, how do we access the comfort of God? For me, I read the Word and look for Him and how He works and moves. Just from this one psalm alone I see:
-From verse 9 I see that God is not oblivious to what is going on. (Is he deaf—the one who made your ears? Is he blind—the one who formed your eyes?)
-From verse 12 I see that joy follows divine discipline. (Joyful are those you discipline, Lord, those you teach with your instructions.)
-From verse 14 I see that God will not reject me. (The Lord will not reject his people; he will not abandon his special possession.)
-From verse 18 I see that in my desperations, God’s love supports me. (I cried out, “I am slipping!” but your unfailing love, O Lord, supported me.)
-From verse 22 I see that God is my safety and security. (But the Lord is my fortress; my God is the mighty rock where I hide.)
Here’s where the potential sticking point might be: Are the promises in the Word enough for us today?
Recently I have felt God asking me that question. And I have been honest with Him in saying that sometimes my answer is, “No, this doesn’t feel like enough for today.” My sincere prayer in those moments is for God to help me to rely on His promises, for the truth of His Word to be a balm for my weary soul. My prayer is that the offered comfort from God will be enough, rather than living in entitled frustration requiring God to do what I want when I want for me to be satisfied.
If God and the promises of His Word are enough to comfort you today, then praise Him for that. If not, be honest with Him and pray the prayer of Mark 9:24. “”I do believe, Lord. Help me with my unbelief.”
Journal Prompts
Answer only the questions that seem relevant to you today.
How has God comforted you in the past?
Where do you need God’s comfort today?
How do the promises of the Word offer you comfort?
Write a prayer asking that what God offers you today be enough.