Day 29
Expecting the Best
“You answer us with awesome deeds of righteousness, O God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas.” [Psalm 65:5]
In his book Windows of Hope, Richard Lee tells the true story of famous Navy Admiral James Stockdale. One of the first POWs of the Vietnam War, Stockdale was frequently tortured during his seven years in a prison camp. After his release, Stockdale said the only thing that kept him alive was hope: Hope with each new day that he might be released before sundown. He knew that without this sense of daily anticipation he would have died, like so many others without hope.
What was good for Stockdale is good for you! Do you have daily anticipation that God will show up in your life and open doors for you? Do you anticipate the “awesome deeds” the psalmist writes about in today’s verse?
One important reminder: Our culture uses the word hope almost interchangeably with the word wish (“I hope I win the lottery!”). But the Bible defines hope differently: As a confident expectation that God will keep the promises in His Word.
The Bible promises…
The hope of the resurrection [1 Corinthians 15:20–23]
The hope of our glorification [Galatians 5:5]
The hope of eternal life [1 Corinthians 9:25; 1 John 2:17]
The hope of deliverance [Psalm 33:16–18]
The hope of salvation [Ephesians 1:13–14]
The hope of the Second Coming of Christ [1 Thessalonians 4:13–14]
The hope that in all things God will work for the good [Romans 8:28]As Lee points out, substitute the word assurance or conviction for hope in the list above, and you start to get the biblical idea of hope! This week we’ll emphasize the sense of expectation that hope-filled people can live with each day!
Question to Consider
Do I live with daily anticipation that God will act in my life? What difference would this make in my conversations, my relationships, my work?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, help me have hope as I start each day that You will act in a powerful way!
