HOPE LIVES Part 2: God’s Way To Create Hope In Your Life

God does His best work in hopeless situations.

Genesis: 15:1
After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward. Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield”

Genesis 15:2
But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.”

Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

When you don’t have hope you make bad choices

We limit ourselves to small thinking.

“Eagles may soar, but weasels don’t get sucked into jet engines.”
John Benfield

We tend to be more indecisive.

“Trying is the first step toward failure.”
~Homer Simpson

We tend to be pessimistic.

“Not everything is a lesson. Sometimes you just fail.”
Dwight Schrute

Genesis 15:5 
He took him outside He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”  

Genesis 15:6
Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

Hope starts with your imagination. 

Romans 4:18 
Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 

Romans 4:19 
Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead.

Romans 4:20 
Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.

Romans 4:23-25
The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 

Romans 8:23–25
For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have?

Romans 8:23–25
But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. 

Patience is painful from the present.
Patience is easier from the future.

Proverbs 23:7a (KJV)

For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he. 
Make a decision to look at your stars.