Devotionals for the Heart: Hope for when our world is in chaos

When Hope Seems Lost
A devotional by Mirachelle Canada

“Uphold me according to Your word, that I may live; And do not let me be ashamed of my hope.”– Psalm 119:116 (NKJV)

The world churns in turmoil.

It’s anywhere and everywhere one can see, hear, or go. There are constant calls to do something, say something, think or believe something. Act, fight, defend, accuse! People are scattered, isolated, anxious and fearful…What can they do? What should they do?

Among them hide the once faithful eleven disciples. Their Lord and Messiah, Jesus Christ, is dead. What else can they do when all hope seems lost?

Does the opening scenario sound familiar? It should. It could describe our world today.

Surmounting problems are bombarded at us from every source. And, to the many overwhelmed and heavy burdened, hope seems lost. So, what can we do to restore hope today?

Allow me to suggest two main ideas…

Idea #1: Renew and Sustain Your Hope

Hope is never lost. Hope must be renewed. How? Jesus says in Matthew 11:28 (NIV), “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” To come to Jesus with your troubles simply means to break away, find rest in a quiet place away from others, and focus solely on Him. Give Jesus your time. Jeremiah 29:13 (NIV) says, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

When you give Jesus whole-hearted time, He offers us his own yoke, which is easy and light (Matthew 11:30) because He is “gentle and humble in heart.” He promises rest for the weary soul (Matthew 11:29) and to those who have suffered loss, He will change “mourning into gladness” by giving them “comfort and joy” (Jeremiah 31:13).

Hope renewed can be sustained by staying in and praying God’s Word. Staying in The Bible keeps us close to God and He to us. Psalm 119:116 (NKJV) offers the decree, “Uphold me according to Your word, that I may live; And do not let me be ashamed of my hope.”

God will give us understanding so that we may live and remain in hope (Psalm 119:144). As you dive into the Word, write out and post your favorite scriptures where you can see them. Let scripture come alive in your dwelling place! Ignite hope into the atmosphere.

Idea #2: Offer Hope to Others

The Bible verse of 2 Corinthians 9:7 (NIV) encourages us with these words: “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

Hope is an amazing gift to give! Everyone desires hope. Without it the heart grows sick, but when it is desired, it becomes a “a tree of life” (Proverbs 13:12 NIV). A tree, once planted, will grow roots. Throw a lifeline to others and plant hope in their life today!

How can we plant hope in others? Help carry another’s burden (Galatians 6:2 NIV) by willing taking up the yoke alongside with them for a while. Or set aside time to listen to their concerns without prejudice or judgement. It’s amazing what offering hope can do!

You don’t have to solve the world’s problems because Jesus Christ already did. For today, He wants to partner with you to renew hope, sustain hope, and give hope to our world in need. 

Let's Pray: Dear God, thank You for renewing and sustaining me with Your Word so that I might live unashamed of my hope. Thank You for setting me free to offer and plant hope in others according to their need. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “Believe for It” by CeCe Winans. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

Mirachelle Canada is a writer, playwright, screenwriter, and theatre director/producer from Northern Virginia, where she teaches television production at her high school alma mater. 

She earned her Master of Fine Arts in Script & Screenwriting from Regent University and is an alumnus of Act One: Hollywood Film & Television Writing Program.

Mirachelle is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, American Fiction Writers Virginia Chapter, The Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild, and Your Novel Blueprint.

She is currently working on her first historical fiction novel set during WWII.

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Connect with Mirachelle:
Website: www.mirachellecanada.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mirachellecanada/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/miracan

Devotionals for the Heart: Why we should not fear anyone or anything!

Whom Shall We Fear?
A devotional by Christa MacDonald

“The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?” – Psalm 27:1 (NIV)

We all go through difficult seasons in our lives, but some of us go through tremendous difficulties where comparisons to Job aren’t all that out of line.

I’m thinking of a family I know who lost their brother and just a few months later discovered that their mother had inoperable cancer. They had to endure her quick decline and passing while still in the early stages of profound grief. I think, as well, of the many families who have suffered multiple losses due to the pandemic. There’s a lot of grief in our world right now.

Along with collective grief I think a lot of us are struggling with fears we never experienced before. As a people, we Americans tend to be optimistic. We have a ‘can-do’ spirit for the most part. We believe in forward progress, making sure our kids have a better chance at a good life than we did. But the last few years have taken a toll on our optimism. Living through cultural and political upheaval is rough enough, but add in a pandemic and the safe assumptions we could make about our world seem to be gone.

Making it worse is a media that seems determined to keep us afraid. I get a newsletter from what used to be a pretty staid outlet. But the titles in the email subject line lately are giving me agita. They’re all some version of ‘things are bad and you should be worried.’ I firmly believe in being well-read, informed and educated, but I don’t need a daily email telling me to worry. Throughout the Bible God tells us not to worry, to not be afraid.

Right now it’s hard to resist fear and anxiety. There’s a lot to be worried about, but as the passage above states, who do we need to fear? Certainly not our neighbors, though they have different views and cultural ideas than we do. Every human being on Earth is an image-bearer of God (Genesis 1:27) and we are called to love all humankind. 

Should we fear governments (our own or others)? No. We must remember God is our fortress and He will not be shaken. What about disease or economic disasters? Not those either. It’s totally normal to feel the dread or stress from living in difficult times, but what’s important is how we chose to act when those feelings come.

We need to live out our faith, trusting in God, emulating Jesus. For starters, that means finding and joining a church whether that’s in a house, in a mall, or an old stone building with stained glass. Having community with other Christians in real life can keep us grounded, supported, and accountable. We need each other in times like these. While online communities can be helpful, the goal is to have local support and teaching.

Remember the verse above the next time you see an article, a Facebook post, or a video telling you to be afraid. We worship and awesome God and He has us in His hands.

Let’s Pray:

Dear God,

Please be with us.

Help us to maintain and grow our churches to support each other and reach the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

We love You, Lord.

Help us to be ready for Your soon return.

In Jesus’s Name I pray,

Amen.

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*Note from Alexis: Christa’s devotional today reminds men Keith & Kristyn Getty’s song, “The Lord Is My Salvation”. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

Christa MacDonald is a 2017 Carol Award finalist for contemporary Christian fiction.

She began her writing career at the age of eleven, filling a sketchbook with poems and short stories. After publishing a few short pieces in her college’s literary magazine she took a long hiatus during which she embarked on a few different careers, got married, had three kids, and renovated an old barn masquerading as a house.

Her most recent work, The Redemption Road, finished the Sweet River Redemption series published by Mountain Brook Ink.

When not working or writing Christa can be found ferrying her kids around, reading, or attempting something crafty. She and her family live along the coast of New England.

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Connect with Christa:
Website: www.christamacdonald.com
Newsletter: https://christamacdonald.com/connect-with-christa/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1538432676468229/
Amazon: https://amzn.to/33uk329
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CricketMacD
Christa's book publisher: http://mountainbrookink.com/about-us/authors/christa-macdonald/