Clinging to Hope
"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 NIV)
Many people decide on a word or scripture to focus on for the year, and the word "hope" is a popular one.
The year 2020 will go down as the worst in history for mankind. And in many ways, it is true if we choose to focus on the challenges and setbacks we faced—for example, illness, loss of income, or loneliness. On the plus side, we learnt new ways to communicate by embracing technology, we discovered just how resilient we are, and trusted God like never before.
Image: Jon Tyson
Looking back is a wasted exercise, except maybe to see what lessons you've learnt. When we look back, we stand still instead of moving forward. There is nothing we can do to change the past, all that we have is the present.
As we are nearly halfway through the second month of 2021, there are still plenty of things to hope for. This scripture in Romans 15 says God is the source of hope. He can fill you with joy, which is not dependent on your circumstances. In fact, your circumstances may not change much this year, or could change for the worst.
The question is: will you still trust God? That's where your faith comes in—faith that God is in control, that he will take care of you, that only he can guide and lead you to where you should go. Only when you trust or have faith in God can you have hope in the future.
The scripture ends by saying it is only when you trust God that you can overflow with hope through his Holy Spirit. It is not up to you to make things happen. It never was and never will be. It is up to God.
So, what are you hoping for in 2021? Access to the COVID-19 vaccine, a job, an improvement in health or a cure for your ailments; better relationships, in-person contact with people or the ability to travel once more?
And if we put our hope in God, does that mean that we shouldn't make any plans?
Of course not. It does mean that we need to put our plans before God, surrender the outcome to him and see what he will do without worry (that's where the peace comes in).
Do you have a word or scripture for 2021 that you plan to focus on? Please share it with me—I'd love to hear from you: https://www.vidalisik.com/contact