Tag: Hope

What if I Ruined God’s Plan?

Do you ever struggle with fearing that you’re going to mess up God’s plan for you?

If you’ve ever struggled with the fear of missing out, the fear of messing up God’s plans for you, or you’re bogged down by regrets, I’m going to say something that will lift your burdens.

You do not have the power to mess up or change God’s plans for you.

I’m the sort of person who always needs to know where I’m headed. I want things planned out, and more importantly, for things to go according to that plan. As I’ve debated what to study in college, I’ve been trying to listen to God’s voice. I have worried about picking the wrong career that doesn’t go along with what God wants for me.

But then I heard that quote on a podcast last night, and suddenly a burden lifted. We give ourselves too much credit sometimes. We think we know what’s best for us and that one mistake can mess up everything.

But the truth is, what if the things we consider mistakes are actually a part of God’s plan for us?

I’m not saying you should go out and try to do things that will harm you or others. But instead of looking back on the past with regret or fearing making more mistakes in the future, realize that everything that happens is in accordance to God’s plan. He would never let something happen without a reason.

That can be hard to grasp, especially if something painful has happened to you recently. When the pastor at my church passed away, I struggled to figure out how that was a part of God’s plan. I couldn’t comprehend why God would allow his family to go through so much. To be honest, we may never know the reasons behind painful situations until we get to Heaven. But until we set our minds on things above rather than on just what we know right now, our minds won’t be open to the possibility that God is doing things greater than what we can imagine.

What about you? What’s something from the past that you can’t let go of? Are you angry at God for taking someone away or for not giving you an opportunity you believe you deserve?

It’s okay to be upset. It’s okay to need time and space. But we shouldn’t blame God for our pain. Jesus is the one who came down to take away our pain. He absorbed every single person’s pain, the result of our sin-filled world, so that we won’t be separated from God.

Don’t ignore that gift. Don’t take that gift for granted. God is here with you now and He wants to hear from you. He wants to guide you and show you His plan. But until you remove the barriers between you and God, you won’t be able to fully embrace God’s plan for your life.

So today, if you’re struggling to make a decision, listen to wise counsel and ask God what He wants you to do. Then, instead of waiting around, just go for it. Don’t look back, just keep moving forward. You are living out God’s plan right now, at this very moment. Isn’t that amazing? And nothing you can ever do will change that because God’s love never changes.

I know that You can do all things,
And that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted.

Job 42:2

The mind of a man plans his way,

But the Lord directs his steps.

Proverbs 16:9

For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

Nor are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.

Isaiah 55:8

But we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory.

1 Corinthians 2:7

Truly Alive

Do you feel fully alive, or are you waiting for something to happen before you can live life to the fullest?

“The past is gone, you don’t know how many tomorrows you have left, so make the most of the present. Don’t die while you’re still breathing.”

I saw that quote yesterday, and it stopped me in my tracks. A lot of us think that waiting means we can’t do anything. But if you think about it, we’re always in a season of waiting.

Here’s a classic example, though I know everybody’s story is different.

An elementary schooler is waiting to someday graduate from school. Once they graduate, they are waiting on figuring out which college they are going to. Once they graduate from college, they are waiting on getting their first job. Once they get their first job, they are waiting for the day when they can retire.

There’s never going to be a time when you’re not waiting for that next stage of life to happen. It’s just inevitable.

But that doesn’t mean that you get to skip through all the in between stuff. All of it, whether it’s getting through secondary school, working towards a degree, starting a family, or changing career paths, is meaningful. The enjoyment, the lessons, and the significance of those stages of life shouldn’t be discounted simply because they occur before you reach a place in your life where you want to be.

It can be really easy to let life pass before our eyes, especially during a global pandemic when everything else has been put on pause. But our lives are never paused, even when we are experiencing unforeseen difficulties. As the old proverb goes, time stops for no one.

The truth is, we will get from life what we make from it. Now, I know you may want to argue and say that we can’t decide what happens to us. And you’re right, we have no control over that.

But we can decide how experiences affect us. We get to decide whether we will learn the lesson God’s trying to teach us or if something is going to ruin the rest of our lives.

Think about all those fairytales from your childhood. Both the villain and the protagonist experienced hardships, usually in the form of the loss of an ability or an important person in their lives. Yet the reason why the protagonist had a happy ending and a joyful demeanor was because they were willing to persevere and believe there was still good in the world. The villain could’ve had all those blessings too, if they were willing to never let go of the hope that things truly can get better.

No matter how tempting it may feel to just sit around and tell yourself that you have to wait before you will be joyful, remember that we don’t have to wait to worship. We don’t have to wait to experience joy. We don’t have to wait before we can see God’s work at hand.

Instead, we need to be present in the here and now. We need to cherish what we do have while we still have it.

Live today. Say what you have to say, do something you’ve been putting off, laugh because why not? There are so many possibilities for today, for everyday.

Every day can be special and meaningful if you let it.

Open your heart to the possibility of truly living, right here, no matter where you are, and let God take care of the rest.

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Psalm 16:11

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.

Philippians 4:4

I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

Jeremiah 29:11

The Trap that Comes with Doing Good

What activities have you committed to that now drain you?

I don’t know about you, but I have an overcommitment problem. I hear about something that sounds really good or needs my help, and I agree to participate. But then, over time, I struggle to feel motivated in that activity and my energy gets drained. I’ve often contemplated the reason this cycle keeps happening in my life, and a few possibilities come to mind. One, which I shared last week, would be trying to please people, having a difficult time saying no. Another would be not wanting to miss out.

But the one I’m going to be diving into today is my desire to be good, to please God, to redeem myself, through works. And besides the fact that this makes us think we no longer need salvation, it also causes us to distance ourselves from God.

Now, when you agree to lead a small group at church or take on another job to help someone, you probably don’t go into it thinking that you are doing it in order to “be good” or to “save yourself”. You probably do it thinking, “Oh, this sounds like a good cause, and God likes it when we help others, so I’ll do this.” Or maybe you do it for your own benefit or because you care about people.

But the truth is, when we go into things with the mindset that we’re in control of our lives and that God wants us to take care of ourselves (rather than relying on Him), we end up living for the wrong things and feel spiritually drained.

In my family, self-sufficiency is a high priority. Growing up, I was complimented as being independent by teachers and school counselors. I loved (and still fall into the trap of loving) the feeling of being in control and not needing to rely on anyone.

While we shouldn’t relying on people to make us satisfied or happy, we need to be in desperate want of Jesus. Our relationship with Jesus is one where we are needy, empty without Him. He’s the only one who should define us and who can fulfill us.

When we take opportunities that make us feel like we’re earning our keep, so to speak, we lose sight on the amazing gift of grace God gives us. And eventually, we end up feeling worthless and exhausted when those opportunities cease filling our tank.

But of course, not all opportunities are bad. God purposely puts certain opportunities in our paths so that we can grow closer to Him and help others. You might be asking, “How can I know if an opportunity is one I should take?”

For us who are already in many commitments, think about which ones might be hard work, but still feel fulfilling. You can still see God working through you in them. Then think about the ones that truly drain you. Those are the ones that you may need to let go of. When we are doing things for God, we will always have motivation.

Here are a few key questions to ask yourself about the commitments you already have or before saying yes to another opportunity:

  1. Why am I doing/considering doing this? Is it to make myself feel like a better person or is it because I know God wants me to do it?
  2. Will I still have time for rest when adding this to my schedule?
  3. Will I sacrifice time with God by doing this?
  4. How am I allowing this opportunity to shape how I see myself?
  5. And then ultimately pray, read the Bible, and listen to God for direction before making a decision.

I hope these tips help you as you continue your journey with God! The most important thing to remember is that we will never be perfect until we go to Heaven, so we shouldn’t be striving for perfection now or holding ourselves to extreme expectations. Instead, we must allow God’s grace and peace to fill our hearts each day.

Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God.

2 Corinthians 3:5

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

2 Corinthians 12:9

Side note: In relation to these themes, I’d highly recommend listening to the song Beautiful Things, by Worship Together. God is making beautiful things through you!

In a New Light

Have you ever felt so burdened by the weight of this world that you forgot to look for the Light?

Do any of you have that one part of town that you think you know super well? You could almost drive blindfolded you know the streets so well. And sometimes that means you take unnecessary risks because you don’t have your guard up.

Well, I’d have to say that I’m pretty confident driving in neighborhoods. I’m not a confident driver in the least, but maybe it’s the 25 mph that does it for me. Anyway, I was driving home tonight and, being 8:14 pm, it was very dark. As I drove down a street that I’ve been on hundreds of times, I suddenly decided that tonight would be the night to find a new short cut.

So I turn onto this smaller road and come to a crossroads. A part of my brain says to turn back, no longer recognizing the area, but I decide to turn left and see where that takes me. I’m almost certain I’ll be on the main road again in no time!

But as I turn down that road, I feel very…lost. And wondering if my shortcut is really saving any time.

Then all of a sudden the light clicks on. Literally, I came to a bigger intersection and there were several lampposts. And I realize that I’m not lost, I’ve just driven the long way around on a bunch of roads I’ve seen a million times. I just didn’t recognize where I was in my journey while driving in the dark. If it had been light out, I would’ve known where I was going.

So many times in the Bible, Jesus is referred to the Light of the world. We are called to be the light among darkness too. But how can being “the light” help us?

First of all, since we know that Jesus is the ultimate Light, by following in Jesus’ footsteps, we will know what the next right decision should be in our lives. We will become like the One we serve and people will wonder what’s so special about us. And when we tell them, they can experience God’s love too.

Second, when we have Jesus, through the Bible and in other ways, lighting our path, we will have a better sense of where we are going. It can be so easy to get bogged down by the darkness in our world, whether through social media, a discouraging piece of news, or a heartbreaking diagnosis. But God always has a plan for us. We can’t listen to the messages that we aren’t good enough or that we have to be perfect in order to be worth anything. Because the truth is, when we see things the way God sees it, we have a better understanding of where we are in our journey.

For some of us, we may be reaching the end. For others, it’s just the beginning. But God will use you through everything that happens to you.

So today, take a step back from whatever you’re struggling with. Realize that this isn’t going to be forever. This is just one small part of a bigger picture. You are going to do great things no matter what. Keep holding onto your faith and hope by looking for the Light in the darkness.

This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.

1 John 1:5

While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!”

Matthew 17:5

Fresh Start

Are you trying to start fresh but having difficulties along the way?

Sometimes we all just need a fresh start.

Maybe we have to let go of something or someone that wasn’t right for us. Maybe we’re in a really bad place mentally and we have to just get a new outlook on life. Maybe we are just tired of being tired of…everything.

You get this great idea to clear out the clutter, to become a brand new person, and to not have to hold onto the past.

So it’s going well, until…

You suddenly feel like maybe you aren’t making progress. You feel just as bad as you once were. You don’t know what to do.

I know this sounds cliché, but the path to true healing isn’t a straight line. The path to becoming who you are meant to be isn’t going to just feel like it’s getting better and better.

Okay, that’s where the key word “feel” comes in. The truth is, all those steps backwards you feel like you’re taking are actually just tests, preparing you for the end result.

But it’s not going to be easy. It’s not easy for anyone who is actively trying to become who they’re meant to be.

But we can’t let these setbacks hinder us or discourage us from pursuing the life God has called us to. We have to go into the unknown with the knowledge that things won’t be easy, but that doesn’t mean things aren’t working the way they are meant to.

It just means it’s different from what we expect.

Speaking of new beginnings, fresh starts, I am in the process of starting fresh too. I went through some soul searching in the fall and I have come to a better place now. It hasn’t been easy and at times I’ve wanted to give up, but then I remember how God has been there for me in the past and how He has things planned out better than what I can ever imagine or hope for. (See, remembering the goodness of God is a benefit of remember the past!)

Anyway, one of the steps I’ve taken to start fresh is starting a new blog. I haven’t gotten it completely ready yet, but I’ve posted a couple articles. I will still be posting on here too, but I’d love for you to check out this blog as well. In time, I may transition to one or the other only, but for now I’ll be posting on both. I hope you enjoy it and find my posts encouraging and meaningful!

Here’s the link: https://hannahhobi.wixsite.com/mysite

Wherever you’re at in your faith journey, know that you’re not alone in what you’re going through.

Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Philippians 1:6

The Rescuer

A lot of times we want to be the one to save people. But how does that align with our mission from Jesus?

My favorite song is Rescue, by Lauren Daigle. The song is all about the love God has for us and how He will come to save us in our times of need. He is our rescuer.

A believer in Christ’s main goal would be to become more like Jesus, right? We watch the way He acted and spoke when He was on Earth. We try to become a disciple of Jesus.

The Holy Trinity– Jesus, God, and the Holy Spirit– are the only perfect Ones in existence. Not even the disciples were perfect.

However, I think we can learn a lot from the disciples about how to follow in the footsteps of Jesus.

A lot of us want to go on mission trips in order to rescue people for Jesus. I think that mission trips, when taken for the right reasons, are wonderful. Sharing God’s love to people around the world is our mission from Jesus Himself right before He went back into Heaven. But the thing is, we are not supposed to be the rescuer. That job is for God, not us.

Something I’ve noticed while reading through Acts is that when the disciples healed people, they always brought the glory back to God. When they were preaching, it was all about how the people needed Jesus, not the disciples. The disciples made it their mission not to make the people dependent on them, but rather dependent on God. I think that’s an important thing to remember, whether we’re out on the mission field in a foreign country or right at home in our own community.

I was going to share a story about a person at our church who is such an amazing person and has done so much for us in her short time with us so far, yet has taken on perhaps too much because she wants to feel needed. She wants to be the rescuer.

But sharing that story would perhaps be hypocritical and not as perhaps impactful as sharing the story of when I tried to be the rescuer.

I think anyone with the “caretaker” personality has struggled with trying to take God’s role in being the one people need. I didn’t realize that I had this problem until a recent reflection over a few past relationships I’ve had with different people where I was so concerned about them getting on the right path that I didn’t focus on actually building the connection with them, but instead was focused on getting the task done of “fixing them”. (Another important thing to note for missions work: Don’t allow the task to come before the relationship. But that’s another topic for another time :))

Anyway, one friendship I had in particular has stuck out to me while thinking about the issue of trying to be the rescuer instead of God.

I felt pretty close to a friend in my life who was going through a difficult time. I felt like God had placed me in his life at just the right time so that I could help him deepen his relationship with God. We had one or two deep conversations about faith and he sporadically attended a Bible study that I had set up with some other friends of ours. I was so excited that I felt like I was making an impact on his life that, for lack of a better word, I got addicted to the feeling that I was changing his life. Keep in mind who I just said–me.

I went into the relationship thinking that I was being used by God, and I do believe that I was. However, I don’t think I ended up leaving the relationship with the same intentions.

This realization hit me when I was talking with him a few months after he had left the Bible study after moving away. He told me about how he was now a part of a Bible study in his new community. Later on, his mom told me all about how excited she was for him to have these new opportunities to grow closer to God.

My initial reaction should’ve been joy. This person that I’d grown to care a great deal about was now taking steps on his own to form a better relationship with God. That was the goal, right?

But instead, I was filled with disappointment that he didn’t need me anymore.

I think God caused this time of space between him and I for a reason. He wanted to show me that while I had done the right thing by encouraging this person’s faith journey, it was time to let go. It was time to see that none of that was done because of some special talent I had given myself. Rather, it was all done through the Holy Spirit working through me. So instead of being upset that now the Holy Spirit was working through other people in his life, I should be grateful for the time I did have.

The point I’m trying to make here is that yes, God does work through us in incredible ways. I want you to feel like you’re making a difference, because when God works through anybody, they are doing something great. But I want you to also learn through my story that we can’t get so attached to the mission that we forget who we’re working for. God puts people in our lives for a season. Granted, that season can take a variety of time frames, whether it be a day, a year, or decades. But God is the only One there for them forever.

So today, think about whether or not you are trying to be the rescuer instead of pointing people to the One who can truly rescue them. God is working powerfully through you, but it’s always important to remember who gave us our gifts to begin with.

We can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”

Hebrews 13:6

New Year, New Mindset

2020 has been a rough year. Now is the time to reflect on what God was doing through the difficulties. What is the most important thing you’ve learned in 2020?

Looking back on the past year always teaches me a lot of things. Often we don’t feel like we have grown or changed, but in reality, we truly have. God has used all the difficult circumstances we have gone through in order to help us become who we are truly meant to be.

I heard the joke a lot last year (before COVID and the spiraling of events that took place afterwards) that we would have 2020 vision in 2020. I think people assumed that meant that we would have the perfect year since we could see things perfectly.

When I first got glasses, I was amazing by the world around me. I didn’t have horrible vision, but I forgot what things really looked like. That didn’t mean that I just noticed the individual flowers along the path or the faces of loved ones more clearly, though. By having renewed vision, I was able to see all the tiny flaws that had all blended together, safely hidden, while I had imperfect vision.

2020 has given us perfect vision. It has exposed the flaws within our society, within a world that has turned away from God. It has exposed the needs of the people around us who we could more easily ignore when being busy going to social events, the office, or wherever. But 2020 no longer allowed us to deny suffering, inequality, injustice, and most of all, 2020 made us realize that we truly have no control. Only God does. And that’s why we need Him so much.

I’ve thought long and hard about the most important thing I’ve learned this year, and I think that’s it. I’ve learned that we really have no control over what happens in life, but that we can still feel safe when we trust God, because He loves us so much and He will never leave us. God’s plan is so completely mysterious that we cannot even fathom it. That’s why we have to follow His lead and listen to His voice.

This year, I am going to challenge you to appreciate everything that God is trying to do in you and through you. Allow the hard times to be ways of connecting with God that you didn’t think was previously possible. I hope and pray that in a year where we exposed deep wounds, we can now use this coming year as a year of healing and unity.

Happy New Year! May God bless you with joy, hope, and peace as we travel into 2021.

Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.

Proverbs 19:21

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born, I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.

Jeremiah 1:5

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 2:10

Hope in the Midst of an Unknown Future

Are you feeling anxious about what the new year might bring? Here is some encouragement about who holds your future.

Don’t be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.

Corrie ten Boom

I saw that quote on a day where the future feels…shaky. As we head into the new year, there has been a lot of speculation as to what 2021 will hold for us. Will the affects of COVID be over with by this time next year? Will we still have our health, family members, friends, or jobs? What if something worse happens next year?

So many questions and so few answers. I think many of us could use 2020 as a year to doubt God and His goodness.

But instead, I’d like for you to think of this past year differently. How has God shown that He is still good and still working despite all that’s happened? We don’t have to happy about all the difficulties we’ve faced this past year. But we should be able to find ways to have hope in the midst of it all.

I have talked to many people close to me about how having to stay at home has affected them. We all have agreed that by regular life going on pause, we have found new ways to connect with God. Now we are making it a habit to pray, read the Bible, and just spend that intentional time with Him. That should be the most valuable thing and best use of time for us.

As you get ready for Christmas and New Year’s, I hope that you can still feel joy, despite all the hardships you’ve faced this year. And as you step into the unknown, I hope you can believe that God is working through everything, no matter how things end up. Don’t stop trusting God just because others might or because things seem uncertain. Just think about the Christmas story and all the unlikely people God used to bring true love and joy into the world. He can and will use you too.

Today, make a list for all the unexpected blessings that have come from this strange year, and another list of things you are looking forward to in the future. No matter what you’re worried about, God has already taken care of it. He loves you so much and He knows what’s best for you.

Don’t give up. ❤

Being confident in this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Philippians 1:6

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13

Through the Difficulties

How do you often react when life suddenly gets stressful? This might help you put things into perspective.

I’m not sure if anyone will read this, since it’s rather an odd time to be posting. But I just had to share what God did for me today and what God has shown me.

I am a pretty hesitant driver…I was in a car accident about a year and a half ago, and I had a lot I had to go through in order to get back behind the wheel. Being in the car is not my favorite thing, let alone driving one. However, it’s a must, especially since I have a job that’s about twenty five minutes away from my home. Anyway, I’ve had some issues figuring out my headlights lately. It’s really dark when I drive home, so if they aren’t working properly, then no one can see me.

Well, I thought I had finally figured them out, and I was happily driving home from work today, relatively comfortable behind the wheel as I listened to my favorite Christmas tunes. I had this weird feeling several times earlier today to pray for safety, yet that didn’t really influence how I was feeling about driving.

I was almost to my house and at a stop light when a car pulled up next to me and started honking at me. I quickly rolled down my window since he was gesturing for me to do that and the guy in the car informed me that my headlights weren’t turned on and he had almost hit my car.

That was so embarrassing. I was humiliated, especially since I am pretty easily embarrassed. I quickly thanked him and turned the switch to a higher brightness. I hadn’t realized that they were only on in the front.

After getting over my humiliation, I realized that God not only saved my life, or at least prevented me from an accident, just today. I had been turning my headlights on like that for a while now, which means they may not have actually been working in the back that whole time.

I think the enemy was trying to use my embarrassment to distract me from thanking God for His goodness and mercy. Not only that, but today’s events have once again shown me that God still has a plan for me and that He wants to still use me, that’s why He protected me. That’s also why I had that feeling earlier that I should pray for protection, which shows God answers prayers.

While feelings of disappointment, embarrassment, or annoyance are certainly valid, I think the enemy manipulates them so that we forget about all that God has done for us. I’ll admit that I spent too much time being embarrassed and upset over the situation that I didn’t stop to fully appreciate all that God was trying to show me through my experience today.

I know that God has a plan for you. Looking back on this past year, I am so grateful I didn’t give up on so many different things, including on myself. It’s really hard, I know it is, to keep going. But you can do it, I believe in you. God is going to take care of you. Be patient and trust that whatever you’re going through right now, God’s right there beside you. And perhaps if you had a scary or difficult thing happen recently, take a look at how God may be moving through that. God certainly works in mysterious ways.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, sea re my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Isaiah 55:8-9

Lose Me to Love You

How has this year changed you and your relationship with God?

I don’t know about you, but a little something I’ve started looking forward to each year around this time is my Spotify Wrapped– basically a summery of what songs I listened to and who I listened to over the past year.

To my complete shock, the song that I apparently played the most in 2020 was Lose You to Love Me, by Selena Gomez. I mostly play contemporary Christian music, but I also dapple in pop and random other genres that people recommend. Yet this surprised me because I hadn’t listened to this song since sometime last spring. But reflecting on the title and the concept caused me to think for a minute.

I think that in many ways, one of the biggest things I learned in 2020 was summed up in the title “Lose You to Love Me”. Throughout the year, I realized that it’s okay to be misunderstood for my faith and my uniqueness. It’s okay to not be liked by everyone I meet. It’s okay to stand out sometimes. And most importantly, it’s okay to not live up to other people’s expectations. The only one who should define us is God. Ultimately, the only ones we will have at the end will be God and ourselves. We can’t fully love others until we invest that same energy in appreciating ourselves and recognizing how we are made in God’s image.

But an even more important lesson I learned was in the reverse of this title. I learned to lose me to love God. I have always wanted to be in control, but this year more than ever did I realize in order to fully trust God, I have to let go of my own plans in order to accept where He was leading me. Sometimes we get so caught up in the day-to-day that we forget that God has an even bigger plan for us. When we get fixated on just what we can see, we lose our faith. For faith is not in the seen, but is assurance of what we do not see.

I think 2020 is a year in which we’ve all needed a lot of faith. Whether it’s been having faith in a God that’s still good despite all the civil unrest, tragedies, and uncertainties, to wondering what is to come in the future. But before COVID and all that has defined 2020 for many of us, I wrote down as my word of the year a word that many may not associate with how this year’s been– hope.

My translation of the definition of faith that used the word assurance (which was taken from the Bible) in some translations is actually the word hope. Faith is not some wishful thinking type of hope. Faith is hoping with complete confidence that God will restore our lives and use us according to His purpose.

It’s definitely been a strange year. But I’ve noticed more than ever before that God is working in mysterious ways that we can’t even comprehend. So today, whether you are feeling discouraged by the weight of the world or how this year may have disappointed you, remember that we can still have faith. We can still have hope.

But we can only feel free of worry when we lose ourselves and our failures, disappointments, and concerns by focusing on what is never changing– our loving relationship with God.

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Hebrews 11:6

And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Mark 11:22-24

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Hebrews 11:1