28 Days of Hope – Day 28
We have reached the final day and I hope you have experienced God’s powerful work in your heart as you have opened the door to hope in Him. God blesses you to be a blessing both locally and globally. When you are faithful to God, He is going to change lives through your efforts. Marriages will be strengthened, orphans will have forever homes, children will have clean water and food, people will be rescued from human trafficking, churches will be active and alive, people will come to know Jesus, people from different nations and ethnicities will unite in friendship, people will break out of sin and addictions, people will be baptized, people will go overseas to serve the disenfranchised, people will be creative and inspire their communities, people will give massive financial gifts to people in need, people will be kind and forgive, people will begin and join Bible study groups and find church homes, people will share their stories, and people will reject suicide and be filled with hope. Do you see this vision?
Give honor where honor is due. When all of these wonderful things are happening, remember that every blessing is a gift from our heavenly Father. A person can only receive what is given to them from heaven. Instead of taking this for granted, or suppressing your gratitude, or trying to take the credit yourself, praise the God of hope and give Him the glory because of His great love and grace. When you tell a story, don’t paint yourself as the hero. Point people to Jesus and His hope. Let them know there is a God who is alive and can turn setbacks into comebacks. Let them know that we reject the narrative of hopelessness and believe the best is yet to come. Let them know that we can serve together with joy and perseverance because God gives us strength.
Hope is available to everyone. Hope is relational. Hope is habitual. The hope of Jesus is indestructible. Because of the resurrection, we have a hope that is greater than our challenges. No one is humbler than Jesus and no one is bolder. Humility is rugged. Pride comes before the fall, but the humble will stand. Humble people bring out the best in others. Humble people want everyone to succeed. Humble people consistently and persistently go the extra mile. Humble people worship God with reverence and awe. John the Baptist led people to repent and turn to Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away our sins. John baptized countless people, but his great joy was to see Jesus glorified. His mission in life was that he would decrease in attention and adoration for Jesus would increase. There is no higher calling than to serve and lead others to the Lord. God will reward us generously in heaven for our faithfulness on earth. As Jim Elliot said: Give away what you cannot keep, to gain what you cannot lose.
Hope Point: Humility glorifies Jesus and leads people to Him.
Hope Story: John The Baptist in Matthew 3:1-17
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
- How can you tell more stories that are centered on the God of hope?
- In what settings do you openly thank and give credit to God and in which settings does that not happen?
- Do others see you as a person of consistent humility who is eager to serve?
- How does receiving God’s hope both require humility and transform us to be more humble too?
PRAYER
Gracious God, Your hope is far beyond what we deserve. Your promises and blessings are beyond what we can describe. Your wisdom is beyond human understanding. Your humility inspires us beyond description. Jesus, you died so that we can live. I fix my eyes on You and want to be faithful to all you have called and empowered me to do. I give You all of the glory because of Your love and faithfulness. I pray this in Your unrivaled name, amen.
28 Days of Hope is a journey together, as we rediscover and recommit to God’s indestructible hope in transformative ways. As you begin this journey, you’ll experience a sense of excitement about what God is going to do.
If you have a desire to grow in your faith, strengthen your relationships, gain wisdom, cultivate new habits, experience more peace, and live daily with purpose and passion, then you are in the right place. Just Choose Hope
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