Hope for Today (eBook)

January

The LORD hears his people
when they call to him for help.
He rescues them from all their troubles.

PSALM 34:17 NLT

Never Alone

The LORD himself will go before you.
He will be with you;
he will not leave you or forget you.
Don’t be afraid and don’t worry.

DEUTERONOMY 31:8 NCV

Nowhere in the Bible does it say that we are to strive to do things on our own. In fact, the Word repeatedly reminds us that God partners with the weak and willing and gives them strength. God often meets us where we feel the most vulnerable.

What areas of weakness are you facing right now? Where does fear threaten to keep you immobile? He is with you in the midst of your greatest triumph and your greatest struggle. He has not forgotten about you. He has made a way for you where you have felt confusion and angst. Let go of the worry today and trust that he is at work in the details of your life—every single one of them!

Holy Spirit, I invite you into my weakness today. Give me eyes to see what you are doing as I cling to you. Thank you that I am not alone in any situation. Help me to remember today, above all else, that you are with me.

Unchanging One

Why are you in despair, O my soul?
And why have you become disturbed within me?
Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him,
the help of my countenance and my God.

PSALM 42:11 NASB

We are not immune to feeling discouragement and despair. God, the lifter of our heads, is the source of all the help we need in every season of the soul. When anxiety fills our bodies and worries overshadow the goodness in our lives, we can turn to our good Father who never changes.

When we feel overwhelmed by the worries of this life, let’s take a moment to breathe and direct our soul’s gaze to the one who sees all and is over all. Though we cannot control what will happen in this world, we can focus our hearts on who God is, always has been, and will continue to be.

God, my help, fill me today with your Spirit. Breathe new life into my weary soul, causing hope to rise once again. I fix the eyes of my heart on your goodness and faithfulness for you never fail!

Delivered

Every time they cried out to you in their despair,
you were faithful to deliver them;
you didn’t disappoint them.

PSALM 22:5 TPT

We are not promised a pain-free life. No such thing exists! When we face trials and circumstances that oppose our hopes and expectations, what do we do with the desperation we feel? We can come to God with everything, including our fears, anxieties, and doubts.

There is no human experience that is outside of Jesus’ understanding and no situation that is out of God’s reach. When was the last time you cried out to God from a desperate place? Have you been honest with God and yourself? Don’t hold back; you may just find that, in his faithfulness, he will not disappoint you.

Faithful One, I come to you with an open heart today. Let your light shine on the places I have kept hidden from you; I cry out from the depths of my soul for you to rescue me. Meet me in the middle of my mess, bringing order to the chaos. I trust you.

Steady

He lifted me out of the pit of despair,
out of the mud and the mire.
He set my feet on solid ground
and steadied me as I walked along.

PSALM 40:2 NLT

Do you feel like you’re drowning under the weight of your circumstances? When darkness makes it hard to see where you’re going, what keeps you from sinking into desperation? You were never meant to rely on your own limited resources to get out of tough situations.

Where you have felt stuck, cry out to God for help. Invite him into the specific places that overwhelm you and watch how he lifts you out of the muck and sets your feet on solid ground. He can do it, and he is faithful to meet you no matter what kind of mess you find yourself in. He rescues his beloved children over and over again.

Father God, I need your help. Show up in my life with your resurrection power, bringing life out of what has felt like death. Fill my heart with hope as I watch your faithfulness unfold before my very eyes.

Hopeful Heart

Anxiety weighs down the heart,
but a kind word cheers it up.

PROVERBS 12:25 NIV

When the worries of life weigh down your soul, what do you do? Do you try to soldier on and just get through the day? It is exhausting to try to keep it together when anxiety is coursing through your body.

God is full of kindness and so much gentler than we expect. If we come to him with our burdens, he is faithful to take the weight of them and help us. He never turns away; he does not need to take time to consider whether it’s worth it, for his love knows no limits. We can never reach the end of his incredible kindness. Have you known God in this way? If it feels too good to be true, you’ve stumbled into the goodness of God. He is always better than you expect.

Kind Father, I so easily forget the nature of your goodness especially toward me. Lift the weight of my anxious thoughts and bring peace and clarity to my mind. Fill my body with your love that casts out every fear. May my heart once again know the joy of loving you.

Unbothered

They do not worry about how short life is,
because God keeps them busy with what they love to do.

ECCLESIASTES 5:20 NCV

How have you been using your time? In this day and age, it’s so easy to get swept up in the digital world and to pass time without considering what we are filling it with. If you were intentional about doing things you love, what would that look like?

We have one short life on this earth. How we spend our time reflects how we live. Whether intentionally or not, the time passes. Will we live our lives with resolution, our eyes fixed on a goal, or will we just let it pass without engaging in our purpose? God is masterful in his plans. If we yield our lives to him, he is faithful to direct us.

Lord, you hold all my days. You see the end from the beginning and every space in between. I offer you my life again. Restore meaning where I have felt aimless. Ease the worries of my mind with your boundless grace. Your ways are so much better than my own, and you know me better than I know myself. Lead me, Lord.

Shielded

You, O LORD, are a shield about me,
my glory, and the lifter of my head.

PSALM 3:3 ESV

When storms of life rage, where can we find shelter? God’s Word says that he is our help in times of trouble. We can rely on him to guard us and keep us secure. He shields us from the fiery darts of the enemy—the lies that distort our true identity as sons and daughters of the Most High.

When the chaos of life makes it hard to see up from down, God is a steady rock to stand on. His Word is unfailing, and all his promises come to pass. Have you been keeping your head down just trying to survive? God, the lifter of your head, is your strong help. He holds onto you when you don’t have the strength to reach out to him. Lift your eyes to his gaze today, and you will see a loving Father who will never let you go.

God my strength, when I am worn down from the hits that life gives, I need you to hold me up. Be my defender; I can’t fight these battles on my own. I don’t even want to. You, Lord, are faithful and I trust you. Cover me with your love as I lean into your arms today.

Resilient

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed;
perplexed, but not in despair.

2 CORINTHIANS 4:8 NIV

When the storms of life are harsh and seem unending, we have an opportunity to make a choice. We can either give into despair or hold onto hope, which will cause us to persevere. We don’t do this on our own; rather, we rely on the Holy Spirit who continually fills us with the love of God. It is this unrelenting love that has the strength to overpower every fear.

What is overwhelming in your life right now? Have your thoughts been overcome with worry? Fix your eyes on Jesus Christ and remember his life of love that overcame death and destruction. Your inheritance is life!

Jesus, when I look at your life, I see the evidence of love beyond my greatest imaginings. I set my gaze on you today, remembering that you have overcome the world. With your life in mine, I can overcome too.

Kingdom Bearer

He has delivered us from the power of darkness
and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.

COLOSSIANS 1:13 NKJV

God is deliverer and protector. In him, we find that we are both kept secure and freed to move in liberty. We have been brought from darkness into light, where everything is made clear. Where there seemed to be no way, God made a way for us to be restored in full connection with him through Jesus.

His love never fails. It is the driving force of all creation and what fuels the restoration work he is constantly...