Hope on Display
Well, hello there, friend, it’s so good to see you stoppin’ in for a little bit. Come and pull up a rockin’ chair on this here ol’ front porch so you can git yourself settled in real good. Hope is one of them things that sneaks up on you like a lil’ ol’ barn cat that thinks it owns the whole barn loft. You can go without a lot in this life, but tryin’ to live without hope is like tryin’ to plow a field with a stubborn ol’ mule that refuses to git movin’. 1 Peter 3:15 reminds us to always be ready to explain the hope we carry. And just so we don’t miss it, Romans 15:13 tells us that God fills us with hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. That there means hope isn’t something we can manufacture. It’s plum somethin’ God grows in us, even when life feels like a big ol’ briar patch.
Hope sho’-nuff’ is a real precious commodity. Solomon said in Proverbs 13:12 that hope deferred makes the heart sick. Isn’t that the truth. When hope dries up, your soul gits to feelin’ like a real dry creek bed in August. But when hope rises, it settles your spirit the way a quiet sunrise settles a restless ol’ rooster that’s been crowin’ since 4 a.m. Hope in Christ gives us strength to climb over obstacles that look bigger than an ol’ bull that wandered into your backyard. It lets us see beyond adversity because we know God’s faithfulness surely ain’t fickle.
But hope comes with real responsibility. If you had a barn full of feed and watched hungry critters starin’ at you through the fence, you wouldn’t keep the door locked. In the same way, if God has filled your heart with hope, it’s only right to share it with folks who are starvin’ for it. That’s why Peter tells us to be prepared to give an answer for the hope we have. Not a sermon. Not a lecture. Just a simple, honest reason for why we trust in Jesus.
So, friend, where is your hope today? Is it anchored in the living God. Are you real steady even when life feels like a lil’ ol’ raccoon rummagin’ through your plans. If so, you gotta be askin’ God to send the kind of people your way who need that there kind of hope. And when He does, ask Him to help you to speak with His kind of grace, courage, and clarity.
Father, thank You for the hope I find in You. You are my steady place when life gets wobbly. Give me courage to share the reason for my hope with anyone You send my way. Fill me with Your Spirit so my words point others to Christ. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Now, look here, friend, as you find your way off this ol’ porch and git on back into your chores, remember that hope ain’t no kind of fragile. It’s plum sturdy enough to hold you when life kicks like a feisty ol’ goat. It’s bright enough to guide you when the path looks mighty dim. It’s generous enough to spill over into the lives of others. And it’s powerful enough to remind you that God is still writin’ your story, even when the plot twists feel mighty wild.
With joy,
Gwen
