Weekly Devotional
Hope Series: "There Is Always Hope for God's Children" (Volume 1 Devotional #006)
“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.” Jeremiah 29.11
Many years ago, when I was at a very dark, lonely, and in a hopeless place, I received this verse from a Bible bookmarker. I remember when I had first read it, I thought this is really only true for everyone else and not me. My life at the time was in the balance and I truly believed that no good would ever come my way from God. Perhaps, my dear friend, you have felt that way sometime this week or maybe even feel that way right now. Regardless, I am here to tell you, “Just don’t believe it!”
You know, my beloved reader, everyone has often felt that no matter what, nothing good comes. I look back on those days and realize, “look at what the Lord has done.” I promise you, my brother and sister in Christ, God has good things for you. Consider the many blessings that have truly been given in your lives in the past and realize God has great things for your future. He is not a taskmaster over you deciding your destruction. He is just waiting for you to look to Him. Hold on to the hem of the garment of your Savior and realize, you are important enough as His child for Him to stop and say, “Who touched Me?”1 Remember, it was not the fact that the woman with the flow of blood for 12 years touched Christ that caused her healing, it was because she realized Who Christ to be.
As you discover the new week ahead, reach out not to Christ because of what you are necessarily able to get from Him, but rather, reach out to Him knowing Him to be God in the Flesh, the Savior of all people, races, and nations, and realize that when life is darkest, it is about to shine the brightest. It may take a minute to see it, but nonetheless, it will get better.
Prayer: Father in Heaven, help our unbelief, Lord. Give us strength to endure the pain and suffering we are currently going through and help us to realize that You always have good things in store for us. We know, Father, that all things work together for our good, because we know that we are called according to Your purposes, Father. Send us Your Holy Ghost to our hearts and minds and comfort us with Your Word, Lord, and may Your Word increase our faith. We thank You and praise You, forever and ever. Amen.
Luke 8.45 NKJV.