“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1 NIV).
My husband and I have been watching the Winter Olympics on television and many of the stories of the medalists are very inspirational. One in particular reminded me of someone who had hope at a very early age. When Julia Mancuso was a child she drew a picture of herself winning the gold medal. She had hope and believed that she could accomplish this. She also worked very hard towards her goal. In 2006 at the Turin Olympics she won her first gold medal even with a painful knee.
As a Christian you have a reason to have hope. Of course your ultimate hope is eternal life, but you should also have hope that what you do for the Lord will not be done in vain. There may be times when obstacles come your way, but you should never give up on doing the Lord’s will. Whatever work He has given you, He will also give you the stamina and strength to complete it. Just have hope and believe that the outcome will be a blessing to the Lord. Let the example of Noah, among many others, be your inspiration. Noah was told by God to build an ark in a place where rain had never even fallen. He withstood ridicule for 100 years while he built it, but he never stopped. He believed and had hope that what God told him would surely come to pass and it did. There was a flood that destroyed everything. He had to wait and persevere and not give up hope. What the Lord promises He always fulfills. Take hope and keep working towards the goal the Lord has put in your heart. Trust the Lord to give you the strength you need. At the end of this life you will receive something far better than a gold medal if you follow the Lord’s will for you. As you bend down before the Lord, a crown of eternal life will be given you, something that is far more valuable than a gold medal. (Rev. 2:11 NIV). So keep the faith and hold on to hope. God is with you.
Dear Lord,
Help me to have hope as I strive to do your will in my life. Sometimes it is difficult to remain hopeful, especially when obstacles come before me, but I know that you have a plan so I will continue to do what is pleasing to you.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
