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THREE STEPS TO A HOPEFUL LIFE
May 10, 2024Why are you in despair, O my soul?
And why have you become disturbed within me?
Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him
For the help of His presence…The help of my countenance and my God.
Psalm 42:5, 11 NASB 1995
The author of this psalm asks himself two questions: why are you in despair, and why are you disturbed? He then answers his questions with the solution – to hope in God.
1. DEVELOP YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. Spending time with God gives us hope because in His presence, there is fullness of joy. And in His right hand, there are pleasures forevermore (Psalm 16:11). When God is present in a situation, we know we have His help. Spending time with God even helps our countenance – because our faces are an outward expression of our internal world. And when we are connecting with God, people can tell!
2. ARTICULATE GRATITUDE INSTEAD OF UPSET. A hopeful life is a life of expectation of good things. Whatever you focus on will stimulate anticipation of more of the same. So, instead of grumbling and articulating your upset, fuel your hope by talking about what you are thankful for. The people of Israel in the Old Testament were “laid low in the wilderness” because of their grumbling (1 Corinthians 10:5, 10). To avoid their long journey, we are to “Enter His gates with thanksgiving, And His courtyards with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name” (Psalm 100:4). Right now, to counter despair, write down or speak out three things you are thankful for.
Let’s hold firmly to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:23
3. CONFESS YOUR HOPE. It’s easy to be negative; it takes intentionality to be hopeful. Our foundational confession of hope begins with acknowledging Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Additionally, our ongoing confession of trust in Him and His promises orients us to be hopeful. When I have caught myself drifting away from a positive approach, I go back to the confession of my hope, which anchors my soul (Hebrews 6:19). I start by confessing Jesus as Lord over my life. I confess who I am in Christ. I confess God’s promises over myself and my family. I pray over each one by name. As you go out into your world, remember to continually confess who Jesus is, who you are in Him, and what His promises are. Speak them over your kids, over your neighborhood, over your region, your nation, over the entire world, and God will use you to impact this place for good.
CONFESSION OF HOPE
Jesus, you are Lord and Savior of my life. I am alive in YOU. I am free from the law of sin and death. I have the mind of Christ. I am far from oppression, and terror does not come near me. I have the peace of God that passes understanding. I hold firmly to the confession of my hope without wavering for You who promised are faithful, God. I declare that You are Lord over my family, my neighborhood, my city, this nation, and the entire world. You desire that none should perish but that everyone should come to know you. I pray Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven – both in my life and on this earth. In Jesus’ name, amen. (Ephesians 2:5; Romans 8:2; Philippians 2:5; 1 Corinthians 2:16; Isaiah 54:14; Philippians 4:7; Hebrews 10:23; 2 Peter 3:9; Matthew 6:10)
God bless you,
Pastor Jeff Perry
hope·ful, adj.
Having qualities which excite hope; promising or giving ground to expect good or success; Full of hope or desire, with expectation.
Copyright © 2024 St. Louis Family Church, All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. “Hopeful.” Webster’s Dictionary 1828, MasonSoft Technology Ltd., https://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/hopeful. Accessed 7 May. 2024.
