Devotionals for the Heart: Hope

Seeds of Hope
A devotional by Glynis Becker

“Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!” ~Lamentations 3:21-24 (NLT)

In the upper midwest of the United States, winter can often feel neverending. While the Black Hills where I live get a surprising amount of sunshine even in the winter, those gloomy days, cold temperatures, and biting winds can sap the strength of even the most ardent optimist.

But I know that spring will come, even if it’s still months away. Why? Because I live in hope.

Hope. Such a small word to hold such enormous promise.

Hope is the seed inside of me that says, “Tomorrow will be better.” Or “God’s got this.” Or “This journey won’t last forever.”

In the night, I hope for daylight.

In the pain, I hope for relief.

In the grief, I hope for joy.

in the chaos, I hope for order.

In the anger, I hope for peace.

Hope is not a wish or a dream. This is the foundational faith that the God I believe in will rebuild what is broken because in His Word He promised He would.

I find these verses from the book of Lamentations especially poignant. This poetic prophecy was written as a reflection on the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, and the subsequent exile of the Jewish people into Babylon. When the world crumbled around him from the turmoil of war, this man had a seed of faith allowing him to hope that the Lord would be merciful. He knew this would not be the end of the story for God’s people.

Jeremiah had stories from Creation, the Exodus, the conquering of Canaan, the life of David, which is a fairly short time-line compared to what we have. Today, with evidence from every book of the Bible and millions upon millions of stories from people around the world who continue to experience the presence, guidance, and faithfulness of God, how can we possibly feel hopeless?

So, the bulbs in my flower garden are currently buried under layers of frozen dirt, ice, and snow. But because every year the ground thaws, the sun comes out, and the birds come back, I have hope I will eventually see flowers bloom, even through the snow, if necessary.

Why can I say that?

God has never failed me yet. Great is His faithfulness.

My Prayer: Gracious God, I know You have always and will continue to show Your faithfulness to the world. In our darkness, sadness, brokenness, and mourning, have mercy. Remind us that even if it doesn’t happen today or tomorrow, Your Kingdom will come in all its truth and glory. Make us ready. In Jesus’ holy name, Amen.

~*~
Author Bio:

Glynis Becker writes devotions and inspirational fiction, hoping someday to have a published novel on her resume. 

She has co-written several screenplays, including Sinking Sand, available on DVD and digital streaming.

Glynis, whose childhood was spent all over the country as an Air Force brat, has called South Dakota home for many years, along with her husband and two teenage children.

When she’s not writing or reading, she is watching more television than she should and crocheting. You can find her at www.glynisbecker.com.