Apr 13

Apr 13 Outrageous Hope

“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Romans 15:13 (NLT)

How is your heart? Are you worried? Anxious? Fearful? Is COVID-19 scaring the crap out of you? Are you wondering if you will survive this pandemic physically, financially, and even emotionally?

We are all there desperately spinning in a cycle of questions and hopelessness right now. We are wondering how to handle what we are going through and what the outcome is going to be. These are scary unknowns right now and we need hope.

I have been in a situation of hopelessness before and here is my story; I “hope” it reveals the amazing secret of hope to you, my friend and fellow Hope Seeker.

I was hopeless, discouraged and had no idea what to do. With tears streaming down my face, I decided to cry out to God on the mountain and see what He had to say about hope. I went to my computer and searched the word “hope” in a Bible program. I saved every verse in that 22-page document, printed it, and rolled it up to take with me. I went to the highest place in our area, Sharp Top Mountain, part of the Appalachian Mountains, and read all 22 pages. Why? Because my literal self believed Ps. 121:1 which says,

“I look to the mountains. Where does my help come from? It comes from you, maker of heaven and earth.”

Yep, that is why I went to the mountains to study hope. While bawling up there, I read over all the verses I printed on HOPE, and I begged God to tell me what He wanted me to know. I begged for hope, living hope! You know, the kind of begging a frantic dog does when he wants a treat. Yep, that was me...

All I can say is that it was a good thing no one saw me bawling my eyes out and asked what I was doing because it would have been a bit weird to look up with my mascara streaked face (eww) and say that I was searching for hope on the mountain.

Well, God found me in a profound way that day. Or maybe I should say, “I found him!” Either way, I found what I was searching for.

Do you know what I found out? I found some amazing secrets. In fact, as you read on, you will see several Hope Secrets that will bring you outrageous hope.

Now, when I meet people who are hopeless, I tell them this story. In fact, I often print out the reduced version of the Hope verses (go smaller version), from a file on my computer, and give them a copy. Yes, it works…

Have you faced a mountain of hopelessness? Has your raw heart been in anguish over what to do in a desperate situation? I guess your answer is, “YES” since we are all living in the crazy pandemic of COVID-19 right now, and as a nation are facing a mountain of hopelessness in the scary unknowns of our future.

How do I get it?
How do I live it?
How do I give it?

Let’s invite God into the process and ask him to “show up?” Here is my favorite prayer:

"Hope Giver, will you show up in my hopelessness? Teach me what you want me to know, learn and apply about hope so I will live it and give it.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen!"

Hope vs. Hope in God

What is hope? Is there a difference between everyday hope and hope in God? We use the word hope like this. I hope I can get away for a few days to go skiing. In this case, it means a wish, dream or plan; it’s a desire, so to speak.

When we are in a desperate, barely- able- to- get- out- of -bed place, we don’t want a feeling or wish, we want guidance, comfort, a listening ear, a tangible solution. We want help NOW!!! Are you with me?

So I ask, where do we get that kind of hope? I’m pretty sure there isn’t a 1-800 number to call for HOPE. But if there were, it would go like this:

“1-800-000-HOPE, How may I help you?”

“Yeah, I need some hope.”

“Really? What kind of hope do you need?”

“I don’t know. That is why I am calling. Can you give me some hope?”

“Well, sure. There is general hope but there is also specific hope. Do you know which one you need?”

“No, I’m hopeless. I just need Hope.”

“Ok, well, let’s talk about where someone can get hope. Do you know where to get hope?”

“Ummmm, well, (sigh) not really, that’s why I called you!”

“Yes, we do share about hope here, but we are just hope dealers, we get it from the source.”

“You do, well I want to get it from the source. Who is the source?”

“The Hope Giver is the source. Have you ever met Him?”“Actually, I don’t know. Does he live around here?”

“Yes, He does. He lives near us because he wants to be available to help us. He even wrote a book on hope.”

“So can I meet with him and get some hope from him, and maybe get a copy of that book too.”

“Absolutely!”

“So where can I find him? I’m hurting here. I need him now. My life is a mess and I just got a call from the doctor with bad news, my divorce is pending, and I just lost my job. Yep...it couldn’t get any worse.”

“Well actually, I have seen worse. Much worse.”

“You have? I can’t believe it. Did the Hope Giver help them?”

“Oh Yes!…. He helped them immensely.”

“Wow… That is amazing. I need to talk to this Hope Giver. Can you tell me how I can reach him today?”

“Certainly, first you…….”

While this is a simple story that probably won’t happen, it represents exactly what we are looking for when we are hurting. We want a “drive through” method for hope, and well, pretty much everything in our lives. But in reality, it never works that way. It takes work, time, focus, and the desire for change.

So where do we get hope from? We get hope from the Hope Giver. He is the source. In fact, other people can encourage us, other people can tell a joke and make us smile, other people can listen to us over coffee, and that will be a blessing, however, that is not true hope..

Hope Secret #1: Hope comes from God and God alone.

Remember when I shared the mountaintop story where I cried over 22 typed pages of verses on hope. It was then that I learned that hope comes from God and His word, which are one and the same.

Psalm 39:7 (NLT)

And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in you.

Psalm 119:147 (NLT)

I rise early, before the sun is up; I cry out for help and put my hope in your words.

What do you see here? The places of hope are: God and His Word. We also get hope from prayer with him too!

Hope Secret #2 Go to the Hope Giver for Hope.

So if hopelessness is your middle name right now, let’s fix that!

We know we don’t want to stay lonely, stuck, hurting, desperate, angry, afraid, discouraged, overwhelmed, and frozen. We want hope, but what does that look like, and how do we get it?

What we do know is that we are not going to find hope watching endless media coverage of the current circumstances in the world. We know we can go to a friend and they will listen, but probably not offer much hope. There is a reason for this. The reason is that they are not the source of our hope, God is. God is the only one who can fill your empty hope jar. God and God alone. He is the Hope Giver.

Psalm 38:15

Lord, the only thing I can do is wait and put my hope in you. I wait for your help, my God.

Isaiah 40:31

"but 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.

How do we practically get hope then?

Spend time asking the Hope Giver for hope and help.
Read God’s word because it is full of hope, especially the Psalms
Identify hope obstacles and pray over them. Ask others to pray with or for you.

We don’t want to just get hope; we want to live it. Circumstances come in and out of our lives and we need to do several things to remain in hope. Here are just a few. Remember, this is something you continually do like running a race. It is not an overnight thing. It takes endurance. It takes purposeful planning and practice each and every day.

Keep leaning into God.
Put verses around your home to remind you of his goodness even in the middle of trying circumstances.
Seek to be with others who are hopeful.
Use a PTP -Positive Thought Process to replace your negative thoughts with positive ones. You can find a free printable copy (PDF) of Countering Covid-19 Concerns: Conquering Negative Thoughts in a Crisis at DanikaDeva.com or you can purchase it on Amazon. This tool will teach you the skills to replace your negative thoughts and feelings with positive ones so that you move forward with productive actions and get practical results. Please check it out if you are struggling with thoughts of despair, panic, worry, fear, anger, or other negative emotions. It was made for YOU, dear one, to help you shift your mindset in today’s crisis.
Write in a journal gratitude and tell God everything you are thankful for each day. It helps us keep things in perspective.
Use Pingpong Praise. I use ping-pong praise with friends. Just like pingpong, you bounce back and forth with a friend sharing what you are thankful for in life. Counting your blessings is a great way to live out hope.
Practice Self Care by exercising, eating healthy food, getting plenty of rest, and relaxing. Do this instead of watching endless media coverage of the circumstances around us.
Listen to uplifting music. Music soothes the soul, encourages our heart and calms the spirit.

Ok, after practicing The HOPE Smackdown: Get it and live it, it is now time to give it.

What do you think you can do to give it? How can you be a Hope Dealer?

It’s simple, share about the Hope Giver and how to go to Him and His word. Teach others how to live it by working out the practical steps above. Send them a copy of Countering Covid-19 Concerns: Conquering Negative Thoughts in a Crisis from www.DanikaDeva.com or Amazon.

Make a list of people you know who need hope and choose one thing you can do to help them from the list below or make up your own.

Write a card and send a verse. There is power, healing, and hope in the word of God.
Call and pray with or for someone.
Point others to God. Help them lean into Jesus
Share your story and how God has helped you (kinda like my mountaintop experience has helped you).

Now is recap time:

Hope Secret #1 Hope comes from God, His word, and prayer with Him.

Hope Secret #2 Go to the Hope Giver for hope.

Hope Secret #3 Live it by using practical strategies.

Hope Secret #4 Give It-Be a Hope Dealer and help others find hope.

One final thought, dear friends and Hope Seekers, you have now moved from Hope Seeker to Hope Liver to Hope Giver. Use these tools and then start a Hope Dealership so you can give hope to those in need

Read the full magazine here