Category Archives: Hope

God’s House Plans

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Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it… Psalms 127:1

Gods House PlansGod is the Master Builder and in His kingdom He is building many houses. When He is building a house He draws up the plans, and then He shares the plans with you through a vision or dream. This is how His house plans are delivered to the earth.  If you have a dream that is much larger than anything you could do alone, then there is a good chance that God has revealed one of His house plans to you.  He showed Noah a huge boat and Solomon a massive tabernacle.  Each of these houses was unique and perfectly laid out by God to minister to His people, but He did not show the plans to everyone.   He showed these plans to Noah and Solomon, because they were to ones He chose to build the house.  He could trust them with the plans, because He knew they trusted in Him.

God must be able to trust you to hold the vision and wait on Him for each step. Hold on to the vision, and don’t let time discourage you. The very fact that He gave you the vision indicates that He intends for His house to be built. If the Lord is building the house wait on Him and trust in Him and in time the construction will begin. Always keep in your mind focused on whose house it is.  You are building His house and not your own.

A vision from God is like a fire, and it burns within you and can’t be put out. If there is a fire within you that can not be quenched it is the fire of God. At just the right time He will poke at the embers and the vision will blaze up. Just hold on to the vision, this is the embers, and at just the right time the fire of God will been seen and He will build His house.

Drink From the Fountain That Will Never Run Dry

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“Oh God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land….”  Psalm 63:1

There is a deep well within us that must be filled up daily.  When this well has not been filled, you will find yourself dry and thirsty.

Jesus said, “If any man thirst let him come to me and drink.” (John 7:37) Jesus is the fountain where we go to drink; He is a fountain that will never run dry.  When we spend time with Him praying and reading His Word, we are drinking from the “living water.”  The Word brings life and refreshing to our spirit just as a drink of natural water refreshes us when we are dry and thirsty.

Are you stressed, tired, and burned out from the pressures of life?

If so, I would like to encourage you to get up early in the morning and spend some extra time drinking from the Word of God.  Drink until you are filled up with a renewed strength.  As you spend time in the Word, you will also experience a renewed hope that everything is going to be all right.

God is the Destiny Developer

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“Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it”. Proverbs 22:6 (NIV)

God has given the wonderful privilege to parents to train up their children in the way they should go. “Train up the child in the way they should go” requires the parent to be observant of the child. They should look at how God has gifted each child, see what their unique characteristics are, and then train them up accordingly.

A child is given identity through their parent’s encouragement and affirmation.  An adult who struggles with identity has most likely not had positive input from their parents.  It is the father who draws a child’s spirit to life.  His affirmation will give the child the confidence that they can accomplish great things.  It is the parent’s responsibility to help their children discover their identity.  Parents who do not help their children discover who they are will send them out into the world seeking the answer to this question.  The world’s answer to who you are is always based on performance.  The world says you are what you achieve.  Destiny is determined by God.

Many times the destiny of a person is written before birth.  There are many examples in the Word where God revealed to the parents the destiny of their children.  Mary was told that her son Jesus would be the Savior of the world. Hannah knew that her son Samuel was called to be a prophet, and she took him to live in the temple with Eli.

David also saw his son Solomon’s destiny.  God told him that his son, Solomon, would be the one who would build the temple.  Many parents today have the same awesome responsibility to call their children into their destiny.  David affirmed his son publicly.  Jesus was also affirmed by God publicly.  At his baptism God said, “This is my son in whom I am well pleased.”

Destiny developer:
God is the destiny developer.  What He has called you to do; He will equip you to do.  Over time, as you experience His hand of mercy and grace, He will deposit into you the strength of character to carry out what He has called you to do.  What He has begun in you, He will complete.

Destiny “Distracters”:
There are many destiny distracters.  We know the distracters are the things in life that get us off track.  These are the things that we do that lead us in another direction.

Some Christians get easily turned away from their calling by pursuing their own grievances and enemies.  This will ultimately turn the direction of their life completely around from pursuing God’s high calling to their own cause. This distraction can keep one pulled into a whirlwind for many years.
Another distraction is believing the lies of the enemy.  Satan is the father of lies, and he plants lies in you so you doubt that you even have a destiny.
Fear is another distracter.  You will fear that you cannot do what God has called you to do, and then give up.

Be a Destiny Searcher

Jeremiah 29:13 “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”

James 4:7-8 “Submit yourselves therefore to God; Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you.

Ask God to reveal your destiny. He is the destiny establisher. Submit yourself to the Lord; He is the destiny developer. Resist the enemy; he is the destiny distracter.

He Prepares the Table

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“Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies…”

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”   Rev. 3:20

A beautiful banquet table is being prepared for the most splendid banquet in history.  You have a special invitation to this banquet if you are a child of God.

When Jesus knocked on the door of your heart and you asked Him to come into your life, you were inviting Him in to sup or have dinner with you. Now you are invited to come to the Fathers house and have dinner with Him and the rest of the Family. You have a special invitation and a special seat at the banquet table.

He has prepared a seat at this banquet table for you even in the presence of your enemies. No matter what others say against you, you are a special invited guest at this “Family Banquet.”  When Jesus ascended back to heaven He said He was going to prepare a place for each of us.  The place He has prepared is not just a place but also a position in the Fathers house and a seat at the “big table.”

As you grew up in an earthly family you may have had a special seat at the dinner table.  As the years went by and you returned home for special dinners you may have returned to sit in that same seat.  The seat is yours not because you bought the chair but because you have a special position in the family as a son or a daughter.  The same is true if you are a child of God you have a position in the heavenly family and you have a seat at the banquet table.

The Lord is knocking on the door of your heart; if you have never asked Him to come in, please ask Him now. Today is the day!

Hope That Has Been Appointed For Us

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“We who have fled to Him for refuge might have mighty indwelling strength and strong encouragement to grasp and hold fast the hope that has been appointed for us” (Hebrew 6:18).

When I read this verse I am reminded of a specific time when I ran faster that ever before to the Lord as my refuge.  I didn’t leave that refuge until I had the strength and hope that had been appointed just for me; it actually had my name on it.

The situation in my life at the time looked hopeless.  In the natural world it looked like our son’s life was over.  There was nothing the doctors could do.  Then God said, “Watch this!”

During that time, I can say the only strength I had came from the Lord.  I did not have natural strength.  During times of prayer, I would fall into the arms of Jesus and I could actually feel Him lift me up, refill me with encouragement, and then set me back down in the hospital room all charged up again.  All my strength, faith, and hope came from Him.  He was my refuge, my fortress, my rock, and the firm foundation I stood upon.  I literally felt the strength of the Lord surging through my spirit, soul, and body.  It was a supernatural strength.  My faith was in God and Him alone.

Sometimes God allows us to go through things so that as we stand back and see with our own eyes His handiwork, we will trust Him.  When He was creating a miracle in our son, all natural hands had to be removed as He worked the miracle.  I learned in that situation, as I watched God work, there are times we must take our hand off and watch Go d work.

Holding on to what God Has Promised

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“…We who have fled to him for refuge might have mighty indwelling strength and strong encouragement to grasp and hold fast the hope appointed for us and set before us. Now we have this hope as a sure fast anchor of the soul…”(Hebrews 6:18-19).

faith to move mountainsWhat are you hoping for? By faith you hope, or hold onto what God has promised.  Hope is the anchor for your soul and is what keeps you stabilized when everything around you is unstable.

A good sea captain knows he must drop the anchor when he wants his boat to stay steady, anchored in a certain place.  We must throw out our anchor and to stay where God has placed us.

When things get tough, like Hebrews 6:18-19 says, we take refuge in Him.  We run to Him for strength and encouragement so we can stabilize and stay steady when things get tough.  When we run to Him, He teaches us how to remain steadfast.  As we obey His instructions, He strengthens and encourages us by His Spirit.  Take refuge in the Lord and you will be steadfast, unmovable, and anchored as you hold on and wait for what He has promised you.

Hope That Has Been Appointed For Us

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“We who have fled to Him for refuge might have mighty indwelling strength and strong encouragement to grasp and hold fast the hope that has been appointed for us” (Hebrew 6:18).

When I read this verse I am reminded of a specific time when I ran faster that ever before to the Lord as my refuge.  I didn’t leave that refuge until I had the strength and hope that had been appointed just for me; it actually had my name on it.  The situation in my life at the time looked hopeless.  In the natural world it looked like our son’s life was over. There was nothing the doctors could do.  Then God said, “Watch this!”

During that time, I can say the only strength I had came from the Lord.  I did not have natural strength. During times of prayer, I would fall into the arms of Jesus and I could actually feel Him lift me up, refill me with encouragement, and then set me back down in the hospital room all charged up again.  All my strength, faith, and hope came from Him.  He was my refuge, my fortress, my rock, and the firm foundation I stood upon.  I literally felt the strength of the Lord surging through my spirit, soul, and body.  It was a supernatural strength.  My faith was in God and Him alone.

Sometimes God allows us to go through things so that as we stand back and see with our own eyes His handiwork, we will trust Him.  When He was creating a miracle in our son, all natural hands had to be removed as He worked the miracle.  I learned in that situation, as I watched God work, there are times we must take our hand off and watch God work.

Dwelling in the Peace of God

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“I will lie down, both in peace and in sleep for You alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety” Psalm 4:8.

As God’s children, we possess a powerful gift that the rest of this world is trying to obtain. We possess peace. We can lie down at night after a long, hard day with peace in our hearts knowing that the Lord is going to take care of everything that is troubling us. That is a wonderful gift.

Most of this world longs to be rescued from the troubles of life. Although we can’t escape every problem, as Christians, we can be assured that we serve a God who is big enough to take care of us in every way!

If you know of someone who is constantly allowing the troubles of life to burden them, pray for them. Ask them if you can help carry some of that load for them. We should all desire for others to dwell in the peace and safety that God offers. Without His peace, we are sure to give up and lose the hope we need to be able to conquer life’s difficulties.

Hold On To Hope

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“We who have fled to Him for refuge might have mighty indwelling strength and strong encouragement to grasp and hold fast the hope that has been appointed for us” (Hebrew 6:18).

What are you hoping for: a new job, a husband, a wife, or healing of a loved one? For that which you are hoping, let me encourage you to tighten your grip. It is time to securely grab hold of whatever the Lord has promised you. Don’t let it slip out of your hands and don’t give in to even the slightest disappointment. Spend time with the Lord and this is what happens: “We who have fled to Him for refuge might have mighty indwelling strength and strong encouragement to grasp and hold fast the hope that has been appointed for us” (Hebrew 6:18).

There is something God has appointed for you. When you give-in to disappointment you are in essence saying, “I no longer believe that what God has appointed for me, will take place.” Disappointments will cause you to let go of the hope. It is like you have been swinging on a rope across a huge cannon, and you let go of the rope right before you get to the other side. When you give in to disappointment, you can feel yourself sliding down the rope. If you give in, your strength will grow weary and you will completely let go.

I know this is how it works. Right now I have burn marks on my hands from letting the rope slip through my hands. Disappointments are coming from every side. I have been so bombarded by disappointments that I gave in to them. When a friend pointed out that I was disappointed, I said “You better believe I am disappointed”. I began to give her a list a mile long. I wanted her to understand all the things that disappointed me.

But the Lord would not allow me that privilege. He lovingly said, “That is what you receive when you are in kindergarten.” Then I remembered. In kindergarten when it rained and we were disappointed because we could not go outside and play, my teacher would give us a sucker. The Lord reminded me, “You are not in kindergarten and you cannot give in to disappointments.” I must adjust my grip and hold on. Paul said it in Hebrews 6:18, “hold fast to the hope that is appointed for us.” The word appointed means it has been prearranged and set before me. All I do is grab it and hold on tight to Hope. Hope is the anchor of my soul.