Heb 11:1 ¶ Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen
I recently got a tee shirt for my birthday that has printed on the front, "HOPE...it's a choice" and on the back it says, "My illness is invisible but my HOPE shines through". It is promoting National Invisible Illness Awareness Week the second week in September. This has spurred me on to think about hope, and what my hope is. I plan to do a short series of devotionals over the next few weeks on hope.
Many times I have let circumstances get me down and my hope has not shined through. I struggle with this constantly because my nature is to be melancholy. My hope (no pun intended) is that this shirt will help me to remember that even though my circumstances might not be good I can still let hope shine through and encourage others by it.
The Bible says that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Faith springs from hope. When the Bible talks about hope it is talking about certainty, not just an "I hope so" kind of thing that may or may not happen.
Philippians 3:20-21 says, "For our conversation (citizenship) is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself."
One day God will change our broken down diseased bodies to be like his glorious body. This is one of the things that is not yet seen, but which I earnestly hope for. It is a certainty. It will happen. God promised it.
When circumstances are hard, try to remember that it won't always be this way. There is an end...a glorious end for God's people and there is HOPE!
Dear Father, I thank You that You have given me hope for the future that no man or circumstance can take away. Help me to let my hope shine through the tough times of my life. Amen
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