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https://ozsazzles.podbean.com/e/finding-hope-in-faith-a-journey-with-god/

Hope is not wishful thinking. It is faith and trust in our Lord and Saviour and waiting in anticipation for Him.

When we are expecting God to act, we need to realise that His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are far above ours. He goes before us and has the big picture. He may not act when or how we expect Him to. At times, we may find ourselves becoming frustrated or disappointed by His response if we don’t get what we want.

This is where faith comes in. Remembering that our God is always good and has a plan for us:

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV)

Many years ago I wanted my daughter to be healed of high functioning autism and ADHD. I was exhausted and struggling under the burden of caring and advocating for her. Witnessing the prejudice she was experiencing from teachers, parents and other children was disheartening. However, God did not miraculously heal my daughter. He taught me great patience and endurance.

He put people across our path to help us in our journey. He guided me to professionals who could help. We were blessed by Lifeline paying the $2000 to undertake a 3 day assessment and report at Autism Queensland. We also had the opportunity for the entire family to attend Royal Bush Childrens 2 week Autism course and 1 week anger management course onsite for free.

The family unit learned ways to support her and each other. I became a much more compassionate and flexible person. Much less rigid. My daughter learned ways to understand her triggers, manage her emotions and communicate extremely well. In fact, I doubt anyone would know she ever suffered from these conditions today. The Lord has healed her gradually over time. Looking back, I can see He has done a mighty work in both her and I. She has grown into a confident, compassionate woman with a great sense of humour. She works and has a lovely family of her own. She is a great mum, loyal friend and loving daughter.

But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40:31 (ESV)

So, I encourage you to wait on the Lord with hope. He is working all around the scene at all times. We have no idea what He is up to, or capable of. He never ceases to amaze me. And He will astound you with His solutions.

These verses from 1 Corinthians lead me to believe hope is inextricably tied to faith and love.

[Love] always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres…. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13:7 & 13 (NIV)

If we don’t have faith in God, and a love for God and others, we are unlikely to have hope.

So how do we find hope? We can’t just force it by our will and determination. It comes from experiencing God’s goodness and builds over time. A good way to start building your hope in God, is reading the bible and learning about our Triune God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. See for yourself all the wonderful things He has done. I love the gospels as they show the goodness of God. This is a great scripture:

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.

Romans 15:13 (NKJV)

Another habit to create is spending time in His presence. I like to find a place where I won’t be disturbed and just quiet myself and be with Him. It’s always good to pray. We could meditate on the verse above or another scripture. We can read or listen to testimonies from people who have experienced miracles or changed their lives with Jesus. We can ask for Him to bless us with faith, hope and love. We can ask him questions about anything. He doesn’t often answer with words. He may use symbols, images, and other people to deliver the answer. Sometimes He sends peace during the storms of life. He never disappoints. He is always communicating. Jesus’ name is the Word. We just need to learn to listen.

One of my favourite ways to build hope, faith and love is to praise and worship Him by putting on a great song and singing along. It never fails to bring me closer to Him and lift my spirits.

A really important step is to join a church community and become involved. Having a Christian community and friends is invaluable when it comes to building abiding hope.

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