Many people are feeling despair today because of the devastation made by Hurricane Ike that destroyed their homes and cities. My heart and prayers go out to all of those people who are affected by the storms. I can’t imagine how bad and hopeless they feel, because I am not there, but I am here watching it happen on my television. Watching a natural disaster as it happens, bringing destruction and loss of life does cause fear, even in those of us who are watching from afar.
You don’t need to have the TV on for very long to be drawn into a feeling of despair and depression. Long before the hurricane season started, the media was keeping us in a political storm encouraging the negative debates between the two parties about the candidates. Many would try to make us believe that everything about America is bad and there is no hope.
Some of the people I’ve talked with this week have storms going on in their personal lives. One friend told me that she can’t feel God’s presence. Her despair is so great that she can’t believe that He loves her.
I pray for her.
I’ve talked with many good Christian parents who feel despair as they pray for their unsaved family year after year and God doesn’t answer their prayers in the manner and time they think He should. But you know, if we surrender to our feelings of disappointment with God, we will then begin to doubt everything except our worries and our hopelessness. Before long we too will fall victim to despair.
What is despair? The dictionary defines it as a loss of confidence, an utter lose of hope. It is the sinking sensation of helplessness and inadequacy.
The Bible tells us in 2 Timothy 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
What is hope? Hope is defined as: Trust, reliance, expectation of fulfillment or success; to expect with desire.
The Bible tells us in Romans 5:5 “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”
The Bible is our best resource for renewing our hope in Jesus Christ:
“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.”
I’ve talked with many good Christian parents who feel despair as they pray for their unsaved family year after year and God doesn’t answer their prayers in the manner and time they think He should. But you know, if we surrender to our feelings of disappointment with God, we will then begin to doubt everything except our worries and our hopelessness. Before long we too will fall victim to despair.
What is despair? The dictionary defines it as a loss of confidence, an utter lose of hope. It is the sinking sensation of helplessness and inadequacy.
The Bible tells us in 2 Timothy 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
What is hope? Hope is defined as: Trust, reliance, expectation of fulfillment or success; to expect with desire.
The Bible tells us in Romans 5:5 “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”
The Bible is our best resource for renewing our hope in Jesus Christ:
“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.”
I John 5:14,15.
“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”
“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”
2 Peter 3:9.
“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.”
“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.”
Ephesians 3:20,21.
Our hope is in Jesus Christ! Don’t ever give up! Keep praying!
Blessings to you and your family,
Carolyn
Our hope is in Jesus Christ! Don’t ever give up! Keep praying!
Blessings to you and your family,
Carolyn
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Thank you for sharing your comments. They are words of encouragement not only for me, but for others who stop by. I would love to pray with you for your unsaved family and share your praise reports as well. Blessings, Carolyn