Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
We must never underestimate the power of God in our lives.
Hebrews 11:11 By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised.
Faith allows us to live a life of peace. Faith allows us to trust in His purpose not only in our lives but in the lives that we touch with His love. Faith allows us to hope in the midst of the trials that we face. Our faith pleases God and our faith will get us safely home to Him. Carla
The wife of Abraham; one of several women in Genesis who were barren (Genesis 11:30; 25:21; 29:31). Faithlife Study Bible
Though the Book of Genesis does not explicitly say so, Sarah evidently believed that nothing was too hard for the Lord (Genesis 18:15). As a result, God blessed her with the promised son, though she was past the age of child-bearing. The NKJV Study Bible
Sarah received the promise as the promise of God; being convinced of that, she truly judged that he both could and would perform it. Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Genesis 18:11–14 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age; and Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?”…
Genesis 21:1–2 And the LORD visited Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as He had spoken. For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.
Genesis 17:17–19 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” And Abraham said to God, “Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!”…
Luke 1:36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren
One evening, a Cherokee elder is teaching his grandson about life.
“A fight is going on inside me,” he says to the boy. “It can be a persistent and often very draining fight. It is a fight between two wolves. And this battle that goes on between the two wolves is inside every one of us.”
The grandfather continues, “One wolf is Evil. He is bitterness, envy, jealousy, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.
And the other wolf is Good. He is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.”
The grandson thought about it for a minute, and then asks his grandfather: “But which wolf will win?”
Wisely, the grandfather simply smiles, and replies, “The one you feed the most.”
So. Tell me this… if I get to say how the story ends, how do I move forward?
How do I choose love and compassion and kindness, over anger and hatred?
How do I make space for healing and redemption and reconciliation, over resentment and bitterness? “Sabbath Moments”
Lamentations 3:22-23 (ESV) "The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."
I remember the first time I learned that for Christians, hope isn't merely wishful thinking but confident expectation based on our belief that God always fulfills His promises. Until I came upon this definition, I'm not sure what I thought hope was. Maybe something I desired but wasn't really sure about? Yet with this incredible revelation, I came to understand that our Lord's abiding faithfulness is the foundation of true hope. And this gives us strength to look to the future confidently, even when we're surrounded by what may seem like hopeless, overwhelming circumstances.
"The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness" (Lamentations 3:22-23).
"Steadfast love" in this verse is translated from the Hebrew word hesed, which refers to unwavering devotion and covenantal faithfulness. God's perfect justice required His judgment on Judah's sin, but despite their years of rebellion, our Lord remained faithful in His loving promises to His chosen people (Deuteronomy 7:9; Psalm 105:8; Isaiah 54:10). Because of his belief in God's unchanging hesed, the Lamentations poet placed his hope in God and chose to "wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD" (Lamentations 3:26).
This same steadfast love of God is ours today through faith in Jesus Christ. Even in God's discipline, His justice is in perfect balance with His unending mercy, and His grace is greater than all our sin (Romans 5:20-21). We may be surrounded by the devastation of our actions, and it may seem like we have nothing left, but our heavenly Father hasn't left us, and He is everything we need (Lamentations 3:24; Psalm 73:26).
When we finally do turn away from sin and toward our Lord in humble repentance, we find our hope again in the confident expectation that "the LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him" (Lamentations 3:25).
Today's key verses remind us that every morning is a provision of God's grace, the dawning of a new chance to seek Him. Indeed, "his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning" (Psalm 30:5).
Today, no matter what I am facing, may I choose to rest my hope on You: my portion, strength, joy, and salvation! In Jesus' name, amen. First5
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