This is an article I wrote a few years back. I found it in one of my computer folders and thought it would be worth a share:
Gary Wright
This Christmas season, let us put our hope in the Lord and await his joyous birth!
THE POWER OF HOPE
“Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.”
“Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.”
(Psalm 31:24)
How many times have we felt like giving up? How often have we felt like it is impossible to go on?
More often than not, life tends to burden us with seemingly endless challenges. Sometimes we win, but sometimes we end up losing. And eventually, we lose courage, and question our faith in God.
The power of hope can help us to face every challenge that comes our way. All we need to do is keep believing that better days will come. They may take a while, but come they will.
WHAT IS HOPE? Hope is more than just positive, wishful thinking. It is our deepest, most earnest expectations of days ahead. Hope is the light at the end of the tunnel; we know that we can make it through. Hope represents our confidence in God’s power.
So often, we feel like we have had enough and that there is no way out. We just give up, refusing to believe that our life can possibly get any better. We feel helpless and depressed. In such times, we need to believe that God is still there for us. He gives us challenges, but these obstacles only make us stronger. God wants us to remember Him, and the best way to do so, is to hope.
Even if the whole world is AGAINST us, we need to remember that God is FOR us. God has promised to never leave or forget us, and will always be there for us, no matter how many mistakes we have made. We can forever trust Him and put our hopes in him. God wants the best for us and even though it is easier to doubt than to believe, we must remember God in our darkest hour.
As true Christians, we must maintain our hopes and believe that they can be possible. Together with Faith and Love, Hope can help us move mountains. All we need to do is keep on believing. Our hopes may be fulfilled today, tomorrow, or several years later, but we must never doubt God and His plans for us. God has promised us much more than worldly or material happiness, and we need to put our trust in Him. Only then will we be worthy to enter His kingdom.
At the same time, we need to also remember that God helps those who help themselves. If there is something that stands in our way, we need to do all in our own power to deal with the problem. God will definitely help! Remember, these problems are only to remind us that God is on our side!
Hope is powerful, as it helps us get through our greatest problems. We just need to keep remembering that God will make things better, and with His help, we are indestructible!
This Christmas season, let us put our hope in the Lord and await his joyous birth!