My One Word : Hope

“Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; They will run and not grow weary, They will walk and not be faint.”       Isaiah 40:31

“This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil.”
Hebrews 6:19

What do we mean when we use the word hope?

“Hope you can make it.”

“I’m hoping to get there in time, but I’m running a few minutes late.”

“My hope is that we can turn this business around.”

In today’s vernacular, the word is often used to convey a desire or expectation for that which we want. No guarantee that what we desire is real or even possible. Just a stated desire offered up to the universe.

God’s view of hope is much bigger. Much better, even. It is a hope that is more than possible. It’s a reality.

God holds out His divine hands to us, palms open with an offering to all who will accept it. It is a gift – the gift of HOPE. And it is found in and through Him alone.

The Search for My One Word

Whittling down the many words representing good life concepts into a single word for 2012 has been like trying to piece together a thousand piece puzzle with the pieces blowing around in the gale force winds of my mind, all just beyond my grasp and swirling around my head.

I intended to post my One Word after ringing in the New Year, but my mind couldn’t agree on what the word would be. First, it was joy. I want joy in my life. I have joy. I want to continue to seek joy, the joy that lives deep down despite whatever might be going on around you or in the windy regions of your mind. It, too, is real.

For some reason, joy didn’t quite seem to fit for my One Word. Calming those pesky winds, I determined to discover, in a short period of time, the root of joy.

And there I found my One Word – HOPE.

All else rests upon it. Without it, all is lost. I know from personal experience that when hope is real, there is strength to be found, joy for the filling, and all things are possible. You can take that next step. You can even thrive amidst adversity.

My One Word is HOPE.

Hope in the God who never changes;
Who is perfect LOVE and loves perfectly;
Who brings light into the darkest regions of my heart;
Who brings goodness, even out of my most colossal failures;
Who frees me from the tangled mess of my heaviest load, when I lay it at His feet through prayer;
Who carries that load, along with me, when I’m too weak to take another step;
Who is daily transforming me into the one He made me to be;
Who never leaves me alone on this path I’m traveling;
Hope in the One who always has & always will be faithful.

I have it, this HOPE.

And I’ll continue to seek it fully this year, regardless of what comes around the bend. I’ll continue to turn my eyes to the HOPE that is real. When all else seems lost, HOPE remains.

May you experience its reality in your life and be blessed by it, too.

“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

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