Have Hope: a devotion by Ann Broughton

“Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God” (Psalm 42:11 NIV).

Are you in need of hope? When I was a little girl I use to watch Captain Kangaroo in the mornings before school. One time there was a puppet show and it went along with the song “High Hopes”. I can still see that rubber tree plant going down when the ant pushed it. The whole song was about if you have high hopes you can conquer any problems. It left an impression on me. Then I gave my life to Jesus and realized that there is another hope that is always there for Christians.

Sometimes life can weigh us down with sickness, debts, pain, or betrayal, to name a few, and it is easy to forget that our hope is in the Lord who can fill us with peace and joy even in the toughest moments. This verse should encourage you: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13 NIV).  What wonderful words!!! It is difficult to believe this if you are in the throes of an emotional storm. But trust me, because I have been there before, if you call on His name and pray, He will fill you with His peace and joy. It is such a wonderful feeling. The Holy Spirit is inside of you if you are a Christian and is able to do powerful things if you let it. “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20 NIV). You have power inside of you that will help you through any trouble that you can encounter. Trust God and believe that He will help you. After all, we have an even greater hope to come: eternal life. There is nothing that can take that away from you. No matter what, keep believing and your head held high. Your hope is in the Lord who will never fail you and in the end will lead you to his heavenly kingdom. Have hope and believe. Your destiny is glorious.

Dear Lord,

Sometimes in life, things happen that can really weigh us down with despair. Help us always to remember that our hope is in you and that you alone can give us the joy and peace we require in our times of need.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen

All Things Work For Good by Ann Elaine Broughton

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28 NIV).

There are times in life when it is very hard to see what good God is doing especially when unexpected difficulties arise. How as a Christian can you find a way to handle it? It is kind of like when you go to the grocery store and grab a cart expecting to zoom through the aisles in record time, but then you realize that you have the one with the wobbly wheel. It is frustrating isn’t it? When it happens to me I’m too stubborn to take it back and get a new one.  Then I go through the whole store fighting the wheel that’s going the wrong way and making a squeaking noise that all can hear. It is difficult to keep a joyful spirit also, since it is so annoying and you feel like everyone in the store is staring at you. I have to admit I end up talking to myself, “Wouldn’t you know it, I’m stuck with this noisy dumb cart that has a wobbly wheel. I can’t believe it. How unlucky can I be?” Does any of this sound familiar to you? It is very easy when you are thrown a wobbly wheel to complain and be irritated, and definitely not look for the good in all of it. But God expects us to behave differently when life throws us into problems.

In life our wobbly wheel could be an unexpected illness, death, foreclosure, losing a job, or any number of bad things. God has not promised us that our lives will always be rosy. So how as a Christian do you handle the problems that come into your life? God has promised that all things will work out together for good to those who love the Lord. It is a promise you must grab hold of when you feel that the rug has been pulled out from underneath you. You need to know that it is not about you, but how your faith in God during tough times can be a witness to those who do not believe.

God will work good through your problem, but you must trust Him and believe that He loves you and wants you to show others how faithful you can be in the midst of your difficulty. Believe Him and He will not fail you, and who knows how many other people might come to the Lord because of the way you handled your problem.

Dear Lord,
We know that life is full of difficulties and that you can work good through all of them. Help us to have faith in you during those times. Let us be a good witness to others even when it is hard for us to do.
Help us to continue to do your purpose always.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen