Strong spirits: hope
Waiting is hard, but hope helps.
Have you ever had to wait for something for a very long time? It's not easy. But what helps is if you have hope.
God gives us hope to sustain us when we need to wait a long time, when we are in a difficult place, or when we are struggling. His gift of hope reminds us that He is still in control, is well aware of our situation, and will deal with it in his time and in his way.
The Bible is full of stories of people who hung on to hope in the midst of difficult situations. To not have hope is devastating. To be hopeless leads to despair.
But there are promises to help us hold on to hope! "Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God." (Psalm 146:5) " 'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, ' plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.' " (Jeremiah 29:11)
It's always too soon to despair! Trust God! Hang on to hope!
Besides serving as pastor at Caledonia Congregational Church, Gary Schwerin is the Spiritual Development Minister for the YMCA of the Rock River Valley and Executive Director of Bridge Ministries of Rockford. Prior to launching Bridge Ministries, Gary spent many years in leadership with Young Life. His columns appear here every Sunday - to see them all, subscribe to our daily email.
