Stirring Up Hope
Becoming a fully devoted disciple of Christ requires learning how to move forward by faith, in trust, while building on God’s faithfulness. God is still faithfully fulfilling His sovereign plan for His children today, and He is powerfully in control over every aspect of history.
Biblical hope is stirred up when we recall:
1. God faithfully keeps His word (vs. 1-3)
- “God is not human, that He should lie, not a human being, that He should change His mind…” (cf. Num. 23:19; Lk. 1:37)
- We will find great comfort and hope when we remember God’s promises (cf. Ps. 119:49-50)
- As you pay attention to global events, rest in knowing Who is in ultimate control (cf. Dan. 2:20-21; 4:34-35; Ps. 135:6)
Are you confident that God faithfully keeps His promises, or are you struggling to believe that God will do all that He has promised? Remember, we live by faith not by sight, and we do this by believing what God says in His Word and living by that belief. God will do whatever it takes to fulfill every detail of every promise He has made.
2. God faithfully provides for His people (vs. 4-11)
- Pay close attention to all the different ways God faithfully provides for your needs and give Him thanks (cf. Php. 4:19-20)
- Never underappreciate the blessing of God faithfully moving our hearts to follow His will (cf. Ezek. 36:26-27; Php. 2:12b-13)
- God can make ‘impossible’ things happen (cf. Mt. 19:26; Lk. 1:37)
Are you facing anything in your life that seems “impossible?” Look what God did for His people in exile! Lift up your eyes (cf. Ps. 121:1-2), keep building on His faithfulness, know that in all things God is working for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.
3. God faithfully restores His people (2:1-70)
- Despite our sinful nature, God has graciously done everything to restore us to Himself (cf. Jn. 3:16; Rom. 5:8; 2 Cor. 5:21; Eph. 2:8-9)
- Jesus is the way of exodus from being in slavery to sin, to living a new life (cf. Jn. 14:6; Rom. 6:4; Gal. 2:20)
- God’s gracious restoration and renewal in our lives should fuel us to have a generous and willing spirit to serve Him wholeheartedly (cf. Dt. 10:12-13; Ps. 51:12)
Are you in awe of God’s faithfulness to keep His word and provide for your needs, including everything needed to bring you into a right relationship with Himself? Is this evident in how you live your life? What will be written of us about how we responded to God’s faithfulness?
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