HOPE OVERCOMES DISCOURAGEMENT

We all have times where things happen that discourage us. This can be for a short time or over a period of time.  We may have been holding onto a word for years and we are just not seeing it come to fruition.  We may have a pile of circumstances around us that just keep pulling us down and we can’t get ourselves out of the mire.

Whatever it is the Lord gave a word this week that when we are discouraged we are to hold onto hope. As I have thought about this more and more I am encouraged by this and I start to see how many times throughout the Bible that hope is referred to and we are to be encouraged.

 

Hope comes from tribulations

Romans 5:3

And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance;

4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope.

5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

 

Hope does not disappoint.  Through tribulations we can get discouraged and when these tribulations go on for a length of time it is hard.  But the Lord tells us here that the outcome of this is hope.  After all the work He is doing in us we can have hope at the end.  He doesn’t change and his declarations over us still stand and we are not to lose hope.  In a number of cases He has just being doing a work so that we can stand and walk in the word that has been spoken over us.

When we learn and go onto a new level of relationship with the Lord after tribulations we do have more hope as we understand He is there and is for us.

 

Romans 8:24

For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees?

25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.

Perseverance comes from tribulation and perseverance produces hope.

I have had many words spoken over me which I have not seen and I have had words spoken over me that I won’t see in my lifetime but my descendants will.  This was what Abraham received in words over him and a number of other people in the bible received as well.  It can be discouraging when there is a cost to us now for the future but we are told not to lose hope.  When we read the bible we see time and time again words that came through in generations after the word was spoken.  It is this that gives us hope that God is faithful to His word.

 

Hope comes through being one with the Lord

Philippians 1:6

being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;

This is hope.  The Lord is for us and not against us and He wants to see all that is written about us come to fruition. He will complete it and therefore we don’t lose hope. We are to be obedient and we focus on Him and we keep moving forward. He will complete it.

I have had a word spoken over me from His throne room (an experience I will never forget).  He was speaking about a task which would take years to complete but something He wanted done.  Now His words were “that the task is complete and we are now in the process”.  There are times that I have been very discouraged but I come back to this experience and word and I hold onto it.  This is hope.  He has declared it and I just need to look at Him to get me through the process.

 

Isaiah 46:9-10

… For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done,

He has declared things over your life and you can have hope in that.  He is working it out so don’t get discouraged.

 

Ecclesiastes 9:4

But for him who is joined to all the living there is hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion.

Because we are one with the living God there is hope.  We are one with Him and we can hold onto that.  Let’s get closer to Him and our hope will grow stronger and stronger.

 

Hope drives us forward to overcome

Romans 15:13 

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Hope brings us to a new level in Him where we are excited where the things of this world are overcome.  We abound!

 

Hope is a foundation stone for us

Hebrews 6:18

that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.

19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil,

20 where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

 

We know that God doesn’t lie and this is a hope that is foundational. It enters the presence behind the veil. Jesus is interceding for us and he is doing the work for us. We have such a hope through this.

It enters us as the temple right to the soul and spirit so we have an undeniable hope in The Lord.

 

Hebrews 7:19

for the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.

This is the hope and I draw near to God through it.

Lord your word is undeniable. It will be performed.

 

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

 

Now this is what we are to go and do

 

12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.

13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.

 

We are to hope.

Now remember the words that the Lord has spoken over you and declare them out loud. We don’t lose hope as we go into a season of blessings and a season where many of the words spoken over us will come to fruition.  This will be a season of the Lord undeniably showing us that He does what He says He will do and that we are never to lose hope as we see these things come to be.

 

Now hope.