Friday: Further Thoughts – Intimations of Hope
Further Thought: From cover to cover, the Bible is filled with wonderful words of hope. “ ‘These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world’ ” (John 16:33, NKJV). “ ‘I am with you always, even to the end of the age’ ” (Matt. 28:20, NKJV). “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us” (Gal. 3:13, NKJV). “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us” (Ps. 103:12, NKJV). “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:38-39, NKJV). “ ‘The rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth’ ” (Gen. 9:16, NKJV). “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him” (1 John 3:1, NKJV). “Know that the LORD, He is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture” (Ps. 100:3, NKJV). These texts are just a small portion of what is revealed to us in the Word about what our God is like and what He offers us. What reasons would we have for hope at all, were it not from what is revealed to us in the Bible?
Discussion Questions:
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Q1. James 5 is very important to me in that it teaches us the importance of putting our trust in God and holding onto his steadfast assurance that He will never leave us alone may it in times of trouble or times of joy.
Q3. The trials prepare us for greater things to come and in them God is able to trust us in knowing that even trials come we hold on to Him. So even if He blesses us with greater things like health, wealth we will never leave Him.
Q4. Praise is important because is a way of praying, thanking God for the blessings. Because he says even if we do not praise Him the stones will praise Him.
One of my favorite text of hope is; Ps 73:17. Just read it in it's context.
To answer some of the above questions:
1. The Beatitudes are full of hope, Psalm 37, Isaiah 4, all the prophets, the Proverbs and above all, the teachings of Jesus. Too many to list!
3. Discouragement is the result of unbelief. If our eyes are upon the world, we will often be discouraged. Hope is the product of patience and faith, and is never lost sight of by all who exercise true faith in God's Word at all times. Truly believing that “All things work together for good...” will not allow discouragement. We may be perplexed or disappointed, but never discouraged when walking by faith.
4. If one has found the knowledge of God (Prov 2:5), then hope, faith and thanksgiving to God will be as natural as every breath and heartbeat. Praise is the manifestation of being upright in heart (Ps 119:7). Any "praise" that does not emanate from a sanctified heart is only noise to God(1 Cor 13).
My personal answer to question #1 & #4 is:
"...The joy of the Lord is my strength" Neh 8:10.
Why? Because:
"...The joy of the Lord is my strength" Neh 8:10
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 Therefore we ydo not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is zbeing renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
I particularly love this text; Psalm 119:165 "Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them". I think the greatest want of man today is for 'true peace',amid the war,strife,depressions, fear, loneliness and other ills. Knowing God and understanding His law and love will give us hope for the future both now in this present life as well as for eternity.