How to Hold Tight to Hope to Move Past Broke
When the going gets tough, you have to hold tight to hope. Even a seed of hope will make room for possibilities to take root and positive thoughts to grow.
Things happen, but hope reminds you that things are never more powerful than the God that created you on purpose and for a purpose.
Daily Inspiration and Encouragement
February 28, 2020
Daily Dash of Twisted Encouragement
Hold Tight to Hope
Times got tough, not just difficult or uncomfortable, but end of the road things have got to change now tough.
I hit broke and the longer I stayed in that place of broke the more broken I became.
Did I miss God? My heartfelt like I had gone in the right direction but the fruit didn’t prove that point.
Did I misunderstand God? I walked boldly down the path but when the pavement ended I stood bewildered by where I was.
Did I ignore God? It could be that I was so focused on doing what I wanted to go that I missed the still small voice telling me to stop or turn.
Did I only thing I had followed God? I had been taking action, but maybe the action was really just keeping me busy with much doing.
It had to be me because God never fails. His promises remain true.
If I’m not living in the promises of God then I need to regroup, rethink, and evaluate what I am doing so I can know what I need to do differently.
God told Elijah to go to the bend in the river and He would send ravens to feed him. If Elijah stopped before he got there, then the ravens wouldn’t have changed their flight pattern that God had given them. Instead, Elijah would have watched them fly over – maybe getting a few bread crumbs as they went by . . . but definitely getting some bird poop.
I feel like I’ve been standing in a pile of bird poop instead of resting in the bend of the river. I had a view of what things were supposed to be like for me and the reality of my life was not matching up to that image.
In Sunday school, we talked about how God disciplines His children. I don’t like the idea of being disciplined – mainly because we tend to think of discipline as a negative thing (although that may be the mom in me). Disciple – which comes from the word “paideia” is talking about training, tutorage, education. It’s not punishment, but preparation.
That changes everything.
In the Old Testament, God tells Moses that He will take the Children of Israel the long way so they don’t have to deal with the armed countries between there and here. “They are not strong enough in heart to make it right now.”
That’s the Lang version of the conversation, but you get the idea.
When we hit tough times, we tend to focus on the tough times. We rarely measure the growth we are creating or the flexibility that we are managing.
We are broke and struggling not to be broken.
I looked broke in the eyes and dared it. “What’s the worst you can do to me?”
Granted, broke has the ability to embarrass me, to force me into change, and to taunt me about what I should have, could have, or would have . . . but that won’t end me.
When you hold on to hope then the things that don’t matter in the big picture won’t matter now because you will see the Hand of God at work in your life . . . even when you don’t understand.
Hold Tight to Hope
Hope is a choice. In the darkest moments of your journey, hope won’t make sense if you try to explain it. Don’t try to explain it. Just hold tight to hope so you can keep going.
- Read the promises of hope. When you start the morning focused in the Word then hope has the opportunity to take root in your day.
- Connect with positive people. Positivity begets positive thinking. When you are actively invested in engaging with positive people you find you have a more positive outlook which gives hope the nourishment to keep growing.
- Repeat the hope. When you say the words of hope over and over it solidifies the idea in your heart and in your mind until that idea becomes your default position. Once hope becomes the default then it will withstand all types of storms.
Broke doesn’t have to lead to broken.
Many years ago, my cat knocked a crystal candlestick off the mantle onto the floor. The crystal candlestick did not survive the fall. My grandmother had given me the set before she passed away, but now the set was broken . . . sort of.
Yes, the cat had knocked the one onto the floor and it was no longer what it once was, but with a little creativity, the crystal teardrops became suncatchers that painted rainbows all around the house.
Sometimes when we hit broke and we think we are broken we are just an idea away from painting rainbows.
How will you hold tight to hope today?
Challenge for Intentional Actions
Hold Tight to Hope
Remember the promises.
Connect with positives.
Repeat the hope.
Hope takes practiced choice. You have to determine you will find the hope and you will nourish the hope if you are going to hold tight to hope.
Quote of the Day
“Sometimes the only way to get through the dark moment of your life is to be a light for someone else.” – Kathryn Lang
When you are the hope for someone else then you create a seed of hope for your own journey. Even the smallest seed of hope can grow up mountain-moving faith. If you need a mountain to move then make the investment in being the hope for another.
What Others Say
Scripture Focus
Today’s Readings:
Deuteronomy 25 – 28
Esther 4 – 7
Zechariah 6 – 14
Proverbs 28 – 29
Scripture Focus:
“When you confess your sins and turn away from those sins then you receive Mercy.” – Proverb 28:13
Ponder Point:
You have to make the choice to turn away from the wrong choices and turn into the God choices. That is where you find Mercy.
Share Moment:
How willing are you to turn?
Study Question
Dig in deeper to the Word to grow a closer relationship with the Word.
In Deuteronomy 28, we are told to choose the blessings. In Zechariah 7, we are reminded that obedience is what matters.
Knowing this, how can you renew your mind and heart to God’s design?
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