One of the greatest statements of faith in all of scripture is found right in the middle of Job chapter 13.
Job says:
“Though he slay me, I will hope in him.”
In its context, Job is desiring to approach God to prove his integrity. He knows that if God is not pleased with his desire to approach him, that he could lose his life.
Are you in the midst of a trial today where you feel your hope is fading?
Do you feel like the light at the end of the tunnel has gone out?
David knew this feeling and he wrote:
Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God.
~Psalm 42:11
Never lose your hope in God.
Worldly hope is a hope in something that might not happen. For example, we might hope to get a promotion or hope it doesn’t rain on our picnic. This kind of hope is a desire for something good that we aren’t certain will happen.
Biblical hope is a hope that is confident that good will come. We can expect it to happen just as God said it would.
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.”
Hebrews 10:23
Hope anchors our soul when our emotions are up and down. (Hebrews 6:19)
Do you need an anchor today? Just this week, I woke up, prayed and read my Bible. I felt completely at peace. Then I opened my email and there in my inbox was an email that literally in 5 seconds flat – drained me of my peace. I got up from my computer a little shaken and in that moment realized what had happened. God graciously gives me peace and hope and if I let anyone or anything in this world replace God in my life – I will not have peace and hope.
CS Lewis writes:
“Most people, if they had really learned to look into their own hearts, would know that they do want, and want acutely, something that cannot be had in this world. There are all sorts of things in this world that offer to give it to you, but they never quite keep their promise.”
This world is empty. It doesn’t keep its promises. In Christ alone our hope is found.
Our hope in God is not like our hope in people.
People may fail to love us.
God is love.
People may hurt us.
God is our healer.
People may be dishonest to us.
God is truth.
People change.
God never changes.
People may leave us or betray us.
God will never leave us nor forsake us.
Having hope in God brings an endless flow of emotional strength to make it through each day.
Is something worrying you today? Meditate on God’s word.
Pastor Rick Warren writes:
When you think about a problem over and over in your mind, that’s called worry. When you think about God’s Word over and over, that’s meditation. If you know how to worry, you already know how to meditate! You just need to switch your attention from your problems to Bible verses. The more you meditate on God’s Word, the less you will have to worry about.
No one and nothing can steal your joy or your peace when your hope is in God.
Never lose your hope in God!
Walk with the King,
Courtney
To find all of the resources and blog posts that go along
with our study in the book of Job – CLICK HERE.
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Beautiful words…
there is no greater love than that of a mothers love,seeing her child ,hunger for her love, and work would not let him express his love for god or her.lets change things.
Wow, I LOVE that quote by Rick Warren. That’s been so true in my life. When life hit hard for us, I had to get in God’s Word every day. I would bring my despair, worry, sadness and God would exchange it for hope, peace, gratitude. God’s great exchange — my thoughts for His thoughts.
Thank you so much Courtney for this post. I needed this encouragement today. I know that I need to fill my mind with words from God rather than continual worry. I’m slowly, very slowly getting a bit better at it.
There hasn’t been much joy and peace with Job thus far, but we know that in Jesus we have overcoming power. A prayer for All: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in HIM.” (Rom.15:13)
Thank you, Courtney for this wonderful and encouraging reminder! These words are a blessing to me. 🙂
Courtney
Thank you so much for your inspirational messages. I love reading them and sharing them with my Good Morning Girls Women’s Bible Study Group.
Thank you for sharing the quotes by C.S. Lewis and Rick Warren! I’m definitely writing those two down in my journal! And thank you for the reminder that people change and hurt us but that God never changes…He loves us and is our Healer. Reading through Job these past three weeks has been so inspiring and has really strengthened my relationship was God! Thank you for your encouraging blog posts…I can’t wait to begin week 4!
I pray that everyone has a great weekend! 🙂
Courtney,
There have been countless times your posts have been just what I needed to hear and I keep them with me in my mind all day for the encouragement I so need some days. You have made a difference in my life and brought me closer to our Lord. Last night I cried and cried because I felt like the hope was completely gone, I am 27 weeks pregnant with our 2nd child and I will probably not make it much farther in this pregnancy. I am frankly so scared of having a preemie and all the complications that can happen and want nothing more than a healthy baby! This has been a huge trial for me personally and I am learning I must keep hopeful not in our situation but in God. So thank you for the encouragement to deal with life’s curveballs. -Emily
Praying for you and your baby.
Thank you for this Courtney! I’m going to pass the email along to my sister. She has been struggling with a lot of worry over her teenage son.
Blessings!
Completely and utterly beautiful. Messages like this are so so important. Your words are eloquent and touching. So well-written to convey this important message, you are truly gifted.
Thank you Courtney for sharing this. Its true God is love, and that is where our hear and mind should be.
God bless you.
Sincerely,
Jessica Medina
Thank you for this post… I’m on an emotional dollar coaster with the sudden loss of my mother on Christmas… and today I was literally seconds away from a car accident. I’m questioning my purpose… I started the Job study late but I’m slowly getting through this.
Such a well written piece of work. I appreciate this blog. This look at the book of Job is really opening my eyes to our humaness. Sometimes we beat ourselves up so much. Learning to just trust the one who loves us and never changes is so important.
Thank you Courtney, I have been forwarding these to a dear friend. She lost her husband last year. Thanks for your ministry! Trudie
Thanks for the words of encouragement. This is the best summation on the topic of hope I have read. I thank God that you share His gifting of teaching with us through your blog.
Amen. Thank you very much I need that. God is our hope in every kind of struggle.
Hi Courtney,
Thanks so much for all you do! Would you consider going back and putting all of the questions for each book into one document like you do now? I know you didn’t do that in the beginning (ex: Exodus). Also, some of us Type A’s :), would like a one page printable for Good Morning Girls for the cover page of a binder I’m putting together for my individual use (ex: like the cover of the Leaders Guide). Thanks for the consideration! ~Meghan
These are great suggestions! Thanks for making me aware of the need. I don’t have plans to do this right now but will keep it in mind as I add projects!
Thank you Meghan!
Courtney
A little late reading this but God was right on time for my situation tonight. I needed to hear this so thank you so much for allowing God to use you. I thank God for saving my soul and I do have hope in him. It may not turn out like I want but I know it will turn out the way it needs to based on Gods will for my life. When your praying please lift me and my family in prayer. Thank you so much.
I somehow missed this in my inbox and just now read it tonight. It was exactly what I needed! Thank you!
Good morning and thank you Courtney for this post. I’m just getting around to catching up on reading my emails. I’m so glad I opened this one! Daily life can become so hectic. I can start off right by praying and getting into the Word, and then something happens that steals my peace and I forget to live out what I’ve learned. Application is not yet one of my strengths. I often struggle with meditation, but Rick Warren’ s definition of meditation brought it home for me, “When you think about God’s Word OVER AND OVER that’s meditation.” God’s Word is powerful. God’s Word is Life. Thank you again Courtney.
This is so timely that I can only say Thank You Jesus.. God bless you dearly Courtney.
Thanks dear Courtney…
You made my day…. I really believe that God uses every problem and difficulties to grow to size and stature of Christ.
God keep using your life and your ministry for his Glory..
Ines.
The book of Job has 42 chapters in it, aren’t we going to read them all?
Yes – we are reading them all – so keep following along as we go through the entire book. Every Monday I’ll have the free resources for that week’s study posted here.
Lots of Love,
Courtney 🙂
I so needed to hear the quote about if you already know how to worry then you know how to meditate. I woke up this morning, prayed I would not worry, and then in the past few hours, that is all I have been doing. Going to meditate on the verse you posted from Job and turn my day around! Thank you Courtney for posting just the post I needed to read this morning, I’m so grateful!