Hope to see you soon. Hope you feel better. Hope for a promotion. Hoping for the best. I hope so. Hope he/she remembers. Hope to be invited to the wedding. These are examples of what we say regarding our perception of hope.
But what is hope? Merriam-Webster defines hope as:
“To cherish a desire with anticipation: to want something to happen or to be true;
“To desire with expectation of obtainment or fulfillment;
“To expect with confidence; Trust.”
If hope is an expectation of what is to come, then someone who has no hope has lost their faith to believe in the One who gives us hope. If you lose hope, what happens to faith? Without faith there is no hope and without hope you die–there is no expectation of what is to come. We are lost without hope. Without hope we no longer believe in what God has promised in His Word.
Jesus gives us this hope. Let us look at some of the scriptures that pertain to hope–God’s evidence of faith and the hope within us.
Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (NIV)
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.” (NIV)
Colossians 1:27: “…the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (NIV)
Romans 8:24-25: “For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.” (NIV)
Romans 5:2-5: “…and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” (NIV)
Job 17:15-16: “…where then is my hope? Who can see any hope for me? Will it go down to the gates of death? Will we descend together into the dust?” (NIV)
Psalm 147:11: “The Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.” (NIV)
According to the scriptures we have read, faith appears to be the catalyst that creates the hope that there will be a better tomorrow–that all will be well no matter what our circumstances seem to be at the time. There is no doubt in Biblical hope because we know “that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).
“Optimism is the Faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can not be done without hope and confidence.”–Helen Keller
What is faith? According to Merriam-Webster, faith is:
allegiance to duty or a person–loyalty; fidelity to one’s promises; sincerity of one’s intentions
belief and trust in and loyalty to God; belief in the traditional doctrines of a religion; firm belief in something for which there is no proof; complete trust
something that is believed with strong conviction, especially a system of religious beliefs; faith without question
Examples of faith could be:
Light switch: You go into a dark room. You turn on the light switch; but before you do this, you know that if you turn it on, there will be light. A glimmer of faith.
Chair: The chair represents faith so that when you sit down on it, you believe that the chair will hold you and that it won’t break.
There are countless scriptures in the Word of God that tell us what faith is and who our faith is to be in–God:
Hebrews 11:1: “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (NIV) In this particular chapter, Paul gives us examples of individuals who lived by faith: By faith Abel; by faith Enoch; by faith Noah; by faith Abraham; by faith Isaac; by faith Jacob; by faith Joseph; by faith Moses; by faith the people passed through the Red Sea; by faith the walls of Jericho fell down as well as countless others are listed because of their faith in God.
Romans 10:17: “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the Word of Christ.” (NIV)
II Corinthians 5:7: “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” (NIV)
Hebrews 11:6: “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (NIV)
Mark 11:22: “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. (NIV)
I Corinthians 2:5: “So that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.” (NIV)
I Corinthians 16:13: “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage, be strong.” (NIV)
Romans 1:17: “The righteous will live by faith.” (NIV)
Galatians: 4:4-6: “There is one body and one Spirit–just as you were called one hope when you were called–one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all, and in all.” (NIV)
So why do so many people struggle with a “lack of faith?”
According to GotQuestions.com, many people struggle with a lack of faith because “we follow our perceptions of what is true rather than what we know to be true in faith.”
As Christians, our faith is based on our belief in God and in His Son, Jesus Christ. His Word is a testimony of His faithfulness and His promise to us is actual evidence of our faith and hope in God (Hebrews 6:17-20: “Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” (NIV)
“The main reason we struggle with faith is that we don’t truly know the God in whom we profess to have faith.”–GotQuestions.com
In order to “know” God and “have faith in God”, we need to know Him by spending more time in His Word and getting to know Him in a more intimate way by conversing with Him through prayer and listening to His “still, small voice.” In other words, we need to spend time in God’s presence on a daily basis. We don’t have to spend hours on our knees. The song, “In The Garden”, says that “He walks with me and He talks with me and He tells me I am His own.” God can only become more real in your life if you allow Him to “walk and talk with you.”
God is standing at the door “knocking and asking” for you to let Him in–to get to know you more–and make Himself more real in your lives.
In conclusion, I want to leave you with Paul’s prayerful words to the Ephesians:
Ephesians 3:14-19: “For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through FAITH. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge–that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” (NIV)
May the Lord bless each and every one of you as you grasp “how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ” for you.
“To those involved in a dying world, Satan will come with evil’s undiluted power to deceive, for they have refused the truth which could have saved them. They see truth as a lie and the lie as truth. They accept the lies of the devil.”–Billy Graham
Jesus is the truth and sin keeps us from the truth. But what is truth?
According to the dictionary, truth is “conformity to reality or actuality; a true statement. That which is real in a deeper sense; spiritual or genuine reality; a true thing; a verified fact; a true statement or proposition. An established principle, fixed law or the like; as, the great truths of morals; righteousness; true religion; to assert as true; to declare.”–Princeton’s WordNet–Wiktionary–Webster’s Dictionary
But is truth “absolute/universal?” When someone defends their actions and when asked if they are “lying”, they normally say “that is the absolute truth” whether they are lying or not.
According to the definition of “absolute” truth, it is something that is true at all times and in all places. It is something that is always true no matter what the circumstances. It is a fact that cannot be changed.–Wikipedia
“Tolerance has become the one cardinal virtue of the postmodern society, the one absolute, and, therefore, intolerance is the only evil. Any belief in absolute truth is viewed as intolerance, the ultimate sin. Those who deny absolute truth will often say that is is alright to believe what you want, as long as you do not try to impose your beliefs on others. But this view itself is a belief about what is right and wrong, and those who hold this view most definitely do try to impose it on others. They set up a standard of behavior which they insist others follow, thereby violating the very thing they claim to uphold (another self-contradicting position). Those who hold such a belief simply do not want to be accountable for their actions. If there is absolute truth, then there are absolute standards of right and wrong, and we are accountable to those standards. This accountability is what people are really rejecting when they reject absolute truth.”–www.GodQuestions.net
“There are three evidences for the existence of absolute truth. First, there is the human conscience; second, science; and third, religion. Religion is really evidence that mankind is more than just a highly evolved animal. It is evidence of a higher purpose and of the existence of a personal and purposeful Creator who implanted in man the desire to know Him and if there is a Creator, then He becomes the standard for absolute truth, and it is His authority that establishes that truth.”–GotQuestions.net
“Society no longer cares about the truth. It doesn’t matter what one regards as “truth” just as long as they are sincere. Truth is subjective, society says, and it is up to each individual to decide for themselves what is right and wrong. We need to remember that anything other than the truth needs to be rejected. Our culture shuns authority and looks down upon biblical values.”–LivingWaters.com
This appears to be the mentality of our society today–a lack of conscience to do what is morally right. Doing and saying what you want without regard to whether it is absolute truth or not. A world without a conscience would be a dangerous place to live.
If that is the “truth”, then lets look at what the Word of God has to say about truth (NIV translation):
John 14:6: “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
John 8:31-32: To the Jews who believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
John 16:13: “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. he will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.”
John 4:23-24: “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”
I John 3:18; “Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.”
II Timothy 2:15: “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”
Ephesians 4:15: “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.”
Psalm 25:5: “Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.”
Psalm 86:11: “Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth.”
From these scriptures, we absolutely determine that there is a Creator who will lead us into all truth which is Jesus Christ. Jesus never changes and the Word of God points us to the way, the truth and the life.
When I first thought of writing about “truth”, my first thought turned to the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, among these life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
Then I asked myself, what does “inalienable” mean. According to Vocabulary.com, it is “something that is yours forever, that can’t be taken away and given to your little brother. The word refers to a ‘natural’ right that cannot be revoked by an outside force.”
If that is the case, then Christianity (Salvation) is for all believers–that which is given to all and cannot be taken away by any outside force.
The Word of God is our compass in the world we live in today. It gives us the directions and information on how to live a life pleasing to God in every area of our lives.
Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me–put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”
May we try to live in the truth as we follow Jesus’ teachings and apply them to our lives daily.
The Word of God is filled with verses pertaining to friendship(s). These scripture verses are insights and wisdom of instruction regarding finding and keeping friendships as well as how to live our lives on a daily basis according to Christ’s teachings. I will not be covering every scripture but want to share just a few of them with you.
Proverbs 13:20 indicates that “He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.” This tells us that it is important to choose our friends wisely and to keep the right company. I Corinthians 15:33 further states that “Do not be misled: bad company corrupts good character.”
Other scriptures such as Proverbs 17:17 tells us that “a friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” No matter what is going on in our lives, a true friend will love us and help us through our adversity.
Encouragement, commitment, love, and support are the qualities of a true friend. Someone who encourages us in the faith and helps guide us along the way to make a strong commitment in that faith through their love and support is a friend worth seeking.
Galatians 5:13 says we are to “serve one another” and Ephesians 5:21 says that we are to “submit to one another.” Serving each other is a way of expressing God’s love and being helpful to another person’s spiritual, emotional or physical welfare.
Guidance from the scriptures help us understand how we are to interact with one another and are commandments for us to follow in our everyday lives. How to live with each other; how to treat each other; how to seek out wisdom and guidance for direction and purpose as we follow Christ’s teachings.
In conclusion, I Peter 4:8-10 says, “…love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever.” Now that is “true friendship” shown to others through the faith that we live out each day.
May the Lord help us to share our lives with others and live out our faith each and every day in the way that Jesus taught us through his promises.
As I look around my music/writing room, I see a number of “creativity” quotes to help keep my mind focused on creating beautiful things . Friendship is the same. When we cultivate those friendships, we (as well as they) can blossom into beautiful and lasting friends who “stick closer than a brother.”
Various types of quotes are happy thoughts that we can look at throughout the day. They bring a smile to one’s face and help us remember the small, simplistic things in our lives.
So it is with friendship quotes. They help remind us to look at the “simple things” and to “cultivate” the friendships that God has sent our way–those blessings in disguise just when we need them the most.
There are a number of blogs that have posted inspiring, thought-provoking, beautiful and funny quotes about friendship. Following are just some of the numerous quotes I have gathered for you to ponder and perhaps apply to the friendships you now have (or have yet to find) and to renew friendships that have gone astray. Enjoy and happy reading.
“A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.”–Walter Winchell
“”Friendship is born at the moment when one person says to another, ‘What! You too? I thought I was the only one.'”–C.S. Lewis
“A single rose can be my garden…a single friend, my world.”–Leo Buscaglia
“You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.”–Dale Carnegie
“A friend is someone who understands your past, believes in your future, and accepts you just the way you are.”–Unknown
“What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.”–Confucius
“In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.”–Albert Schweitzer
“A loyal friend laughs at your jokes when they’re not so good, and sympathizes with your problems when they’re not so bad.”–Arnold H. Glasgow
“For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone.”–Audrey Hepburn
“Never idealize others. They will never live up to your expectations. Don’t over-analyze your relationships. Stop playing games. A growing relationship can only be nurtured by genuineness.”–Leo F. Buscaglia
“Tis the privilege of friendship to talk nonsense, and to have her nonsense respected.”–Charles Lamb
“Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.”-Marcel Proust
“If you go looking for a friend, you’re going to find they’re very scarce. If you go out to be a friend, you’ll find them everywhere.”–Zig Ziglar
“Friendship is the only cement that will ever hold the world together.”–Woodrow T. Wilson
“Friends are those rare people who ask how we are and then wait to hear the answer.”–Ed Cunningham
“A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked.”–Bernard Meltzer
“A friend knows the song in my heart and sings it to me when my memory fails.”–Donna Roberts
“It is not so much our friends’ help that helps us, as the confidence of their help.”–Epicurus
“Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends.”–Abraham Lincoln
“They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel.”–Carl W. Buechner
“Truly great friends are hard to find, difficult to leave, and impossible to forget.”–Unknown
“Don’t walk in front of me; I may not follow. Don’t walk behind me; I may not lead. Just walk beside me and be my friend.”–Albert Camus
“To the world you may be just one person, but to one person you may be the world.”–Brandi Snyder
A friend is hard to come by but the one who “holds all our tomorrows” will be the greatest friend of them all–Jesus!
