We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. ~1 Thessalonians 1:3
Hope.
What a marvelous and faith-filled word that is!
2020 teaches me more about patience and endurance than I ever thought possible, but through it all, I know that hope is the instrument that enables me to put one foot in front of the other through all the dark, bleak days that seem never-ending.
Toward the end of the year, the word "hope" keeps creeping into my consciousness. I see it in friends' blogs; it speaks to my heart when I least expect it. And when Danny and I light the candle of hope during the Advent season, the flame leaps up, virulent and vibrant, unique in its affirmation as the fire grows higher and heartier as it glows.
That sign seals the deal for me.
I'm assured, in every fiber of my being, that the Lord wishes me to live in hope for the year 2021.
So, what are my hopes?
Oh, I have so many, yet I'm sure God will help me realized these in His good time.
But I'd like to share this sentiment with you, dear friends. When you hope in Christ Jesus, your hope will never be in vain. He hears your prayers, your heart's desire, and He is mindful of your every need. He will provide richly for all of us if we remain filled with hope in His promises.
As this New Year begins, I'm praying for each and every one of you to keep hope alive in your hearts. God, our Father, has given us this precious gift, the ability to look beyond what is to what can be. He is calling us to have faith, to share His love, and to always place our hopes in Him.
Amen!
Thank you. I totally agree. We must continue to hope and trust in the Lord. God is in control. He will see us through these difficult times.
ReplyDeleteGod bless you and your family.
God is most definitely in control, Victor, and we must never stop hoping in Him. He will see us through!
DeleteLove and blessings!
I concur with you Martha. When a person hopes in Jesus, that hope never dies. Couldn't say it much better or clearer than that.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely, Bill! Jesus is our only hope and our salvation.
DeleteLove and blessings!
"My hope is found in nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus' Name! On Christ the solid Rock I stand, All other ground is sinking sand, All other ground is sinking sand." That is a wonderful old hymn that came to mind as I was reading your post. Our hope is in Christ alone!! And HE will not fail us when we put our trust in Him! Great word for 2021. I know God will bless you when you continue to hope in Him.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Pamela, for quoting that beautiful hymn here. What a great reminder of where our hope should be focused! I'm hanging on to my hope in Jesus!
DeleteLove and blessings!
I think the correct wording is "My hope is built on nothing less", not found...it's still early and my brain is slow this morning...
ReplyDeleteI hear you! I'm just on my second cup of coffee, so my brain isn't up to snuff quite yet either, my friend.
DeleteLove and blessings!
That is my word this year too, I will be keeping hope alive in my heart without a doubt.
ReplyDeleteHow cool is that, Martha? The two Marthas choosing the same word for the year. Together, we can really keep hope alive!
DeleteLove and blessings!
Great thoughts to start the new year... Hope!
ReplyDeleteI thought so, too, my friend.
DeleteLove and blessings!
Excellent! "Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul, and sings the tune without the words and never stops at all," said Emily Dickinson. The word "hope" also brings to mind a line from Shawshank Redemption (Shawshank prison: a hellish symbol of the world at its darkest),"Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies."
ReplyDeleteI never choose a new word for the new year. But sometimes a word chooses me. For instance, in a dream I had a few years back, God showed me what he desired: for me to press in. And so my new phrase was "press in." It was a directional dream. One that not only changed my year, but my whole life ever since.
This year another word was given to me through two separate messages from fellow saints: focus. Because, Lord have mercy, do I EVER need focus to complete any given task.
Love and blessings this new year. May it bring you to a closer, deeper, more intimate knowledge of Christ than ever. My prayer for us all.
Thank you so much for sharing your stories of how the word for the year (or phrase) chooses you, Debra. That's exactly how it works with me. It has to be a recurring and convicting word that comes at just the right time and place. Thanks, too, for the quotes you offered here. Indeed, hope never stops, and it is the good thing that never dies.
DeleteLove and blessings!
I love your illustration of your lighting the candle of hope! God speaks to us always, even through the taper's flame. May we all continue keeping one another's candles of hope lit.
ReplyDeleteOh, yes, Myra, may we all continue to be candles of hope for one another in this dark and hurting world. I'm pretty sure God approves of that plan!
DeleteLove and blessings!
And, there is no safer haven to place our hope than in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! He is our hope and peace, and without Him, where would we be? May He richly bless you and Danny and your family during this new year!
ReplyDeleteI don't know where I'd be, Cheryl, if I couldn't put my hope and trust in the saving grace of Jesus. I simply don't know how people live without God in their lives; praying that those who don't know the Lord will come to know Him in 2021.
DeleteLove and blessings!
Great words, Martha. Thank you and Happy New Year. :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Frank, and Happy New Year to you!
DeleteLove and blessings!
A wonderful word, Martha! One that we all need, especially in this new year. God bless!!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Terri! Yes, we can all use more hope in our lives as this new year unfolds.
DeleteLove and blessings!
Thanks for encouraging us to keep hope alive, Martha. Sometimes I have to remind myself to do that! But of all people, we have every reason to maintain the highest hopes because of who our Father God is.
ReplyDeleteAmen, Lisa! We do have every reason to hope because of who we are in Christ Jesus.
DeleteLove and blessings!
Happy New Year, dear Martha! Our hope remains in our God who is good all the time!
ReplyDeleteYes, God is always good, Beckie. We can't go wrong if we place our hope in Him.
DeleteLove and blessings!
Ah dear Martha hope indeed is our anchor in troubled times..
ReplyDeleteHebrews 6:19 KJV
Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast.. this verse I have on my screensaver as a constant reminder..
Hope is truly our anchor upon turbulent seas.. may we keep our eyes on that hope the Lord Jesus and not focus on stormy waves around us..
Thanks for sharing, and may God bless and keep you and all whom you love safe and well.
Prayer hugs, Shaz in Oz. X
{Wonderful Words of Life - Shaz in Oz}
{Calligraphy Cards - Shaz in Oz}
Yes, Shaz, we definitely need to keep our focus on Jesus, not on the swirling storms around us. In Him, we can place our trust and our hope.
DeleteLove and blessings!
Martha, good morning! I love this reminder that our 'hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness.'
ReplyDeleteToo often it's on our own health, finances, family life, politicians, pundits.
No wonder we end up disillusioned. I'm taking note of what's going on around me in the world, but putting more energy into my faith walk than all the precarious events that surround us.
Therein lies peace ...
Yes, Linda, true peace is found only in Jesus, and when we put our hope in Him first and foremost, we know He will always meet our needs. A focus on this crazy world around us will disillusion us in the end. I don't want to go there!
DeleteLove and blessings!
Beautiful post, Martha! I'm a hope girl through and through. Love your thoughts here: "I know that hope is the instrument that enables me to put one foot in front of the other through all the dark, bleak days that seem never-ending." Yes! God bless, friend!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you liked that sentence, Karen. It's so true! If I were to have guessed before you revealed it here, I'd have said you are a hope girl, too!
DeleteLove and blessings!
Well said ma'am. Our hope in Christ is truly the only real hope we can have. Amen my friend.
ReplyDeleteThank you, J.D.! Yes, our only true hope is in Jesus.
DeleteLove and blessings!
Without hope there is no life, it keeps us going. Hope that is seen is no hope at all, that is the difficult part, but we get there! Happy and hopeful 2021.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right, Marja - without hope there is no life. Who wants to live that way? I know I don't!
DeleteLove and blessings!
Forever clinging to the Well Spring of Hope--Jesus!
ReplyDeleteBlessings!
Amen, Loralu! Cling to that well that never runs dry.
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Oh yes, Martha, may we have "endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ." We so need it! Thank you for this encouraging message on hope. Love and blessings to you!
ReplyDeleteAmen, Trudy! We do need the hope that Lord Jesus gives us each and every day.
DeleteLove and blessings!
As a runner, I especially love the part of the verse that calls for "endurance inspired by hope". Hope is vital to our faith in the Lord. So glad that hope is speaking to your heart these days, dear friend! Blessings for the new year.
ReplyDeleteThat phrase certainly does fit a runner's mantra so well, Laurie. And yes, hope is vital to our faith in God, and I'm so grateful He gave me that word for this year.
DeleteLove and blessings!
Hope is a powerful and life giving word. Great word to focus on for 2021. We all sure need it!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jean! Yes, hope is a powerful word, indeed.
DeleteLove and blessings!
Martha, hope in a Christian world-view is so different than a secular view of hope.
ReplyDeleteA Christian view of hope is a know-so hope; while a secular hope is more a wish than anything.
An old hymn "The Solid Rock" came to mind: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEHMIJNQxDg
Placing our hope in/on Jesus is hope well placed!
Love and blessings!
Amen, Kim! Placing our hope in Jesus is the best move we could ever make.
DeleteLove and blessings!