Uprooted Hope

Listening to the end of a sermon by a famous preacher, my attention was drawn to the above verse.  It seems to describe what everyone is experiencing at this time.  Our hope has been uprooted like a tree.

Two questions immediately come to mind:  (1) Where will I find hope to replace that which is lost?  (2) How will I help people find hope in the current situation?

Thankfully that is not the only verse in the Bible that talks about hope.  That same preacher drew my attention to Job 14:7.  “There is always hope for a tree. If it is cut down, it can grow again. It will keep sending out new branches.”  This statement brings perspective.  God can bring to life that which appears to be dead.

And I remember the words of the prophet in Joel 2:21-32.  It is a message that God can restore what is seemingly lost.  He can replace what the the locust swarms have eaten.  Those promises are given right before the promise that God will pour out His Spirit on ordinary people.  With the help of God’s Spirit those people will do extraordinary things.  And I believe that one of those extraordinary things is to find hope where it is lacking.

Together, let’s trust God to fill us with hope and be able to share hope with those around us.

Praise and Prayer

• We continue to give thanks to God for His protection and for health to serve Him and the people around us.  Thank-you for remembering us in your prayers, even as we remember to pray for you.
• With the possibility of mandatory quarantine facing people who travel to minister to others, short-term teams and speakers at conferences are needing to make difficult decisions about their ability to act on plans previously made.  Please pray that in the spectrum between panic and recklessness, they will have Holy Spirit inspired wisdom to make the right decision specific to their situation.

The need for the church to have financial resources to minister to needy people remains and may even be greater than last week.  Please continue to support your local church and the worldwide efforts to take the good news about Jesus to those who have not yet heard.  Let’s keep praying and trusting God to enable us to do this.