40-Day Journey to Find HOPE
** As part of our #ChooseHOPE campaign to minister to you during this unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, we wanted to make you aware of a very special e-book written by my friend and Christian counselor, Michelle Broussard, from Canton, Texas. We have included her introduction and Day 1 here of this journey to whet your appetite, then you can purchase the full book at the end if you desire. We know it will bless you. -Bunni Pounds
By Michelle Broussard, Guest Contributor
Do you ever wake up and want to cry because you are not sure if you have the energy to face the day? Do you go through each day wanting to finish all your tasks just so you can go back to bed? Has life become one big checklist for you?
Over the past year, I felt my life was one big daily checklist. If I just made it through the end of the day I could crawl in bed and read. Fatigue, physical disease, financial stressors, and feeling as if we live in the middle of nowhere had been major themes in my life.
Four and half years ago, my husband and I moved from Dallas to a small town about 70 miles east. When we moved we thought it would not be a big transition. We were not really that far from the place we had called home and we were ready to leave the big city. David lived in Dallas for 40 years and I lived there for 20 years.
We could not have been more wrong! It was a total change in lifestyle. The life out in the country is much slower and definitely a lot quieter. I have learned that when people describe their life as quiet it generally means they spend a lot of time alone.
The first year we had lots of friends and family visiting frequently. Over time, the steady stream of visitors dwindled. We found new friends and started becoming grounded in our new life.
While the move to the country was a huge blessing in many ways, it was overwhelming in others. We are self-employed and our income dropped considerably in our first year in the country. The financial struggles of readjustment along with many other factors led to a flare in the rheumatoid arthritis present in my body. The decrease in income along with disease progression and several other factors led me to question my faith.
Not only did we have a drastic change in our social and business lives, but we also had a steep learning curve for the practical aspects of living in the country. Land management, water well repair, and the overall do-it-yourself way that is prevalent out here was new to us. We also took on gardening and food preservation. In addition, a tornado hit our property in 2015 (You can read about that here). Let’s just say that watching “Alaska: The Last Frontier” was not adequate preparation for actually living in the country! We learned lots of lessons in our first few years in the country.
On the positive side, we quickly found community and made some wonderful, lifelong friends. Instead of fine dining and musicals, we go to a friend's house for dinner and discussion. Instead of movies and the latest coffee shop, we go to someone's house for tea or coffee and conversation. We opened our home for numerous worship nights, bible studies and other fun events. The lack of entertainment and dining options required us to actually engage with friends and neighbors. What a blessing!
In spite of the many blessings, there were many setbacks. The event that led to this blog was a 5-day hospital visit due to an unexpected MRSA infection. I had a wound on my arm that required surgery and daily wound changes. This was the culmination of many physical setbacks and it was the lowest point in my life.
I spend lots of time praying and pressing into God. I study His Word daily and counsel people applying biblical principles to all situations. (You can read about my counseling approach here). Our lives revolve around Jesus. How can all this happen to me? I thought I was doing everything right.
When I left the hospital, I was mad at God. Where was He? Did He not see all that I was doing for Him? Did He not see that I worshiped and prayed every day? Why was all this stuff happening? What was I doing wrong? Was the bible even true and if so, how could I possibly believe it let alone place any hope in it?
Romans 5:1-5 says that "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. (Emphasis mine)
This passage shows hope as the end-product of tribulations. If that is true, why was I struggling with being hopeful? I know God is good and loving, but it seems my heart and body had taken a beating over the past few years while doubt and unbelief gained a foothold. There was truly no light at the end of my tunnel, I struggled with hopelessness and loss of faith.
During prayer time one morning, I decided to do a 40-day study and daily devotional on HOPE. I desperately needed hope, and I needed it fast!
Then the Holy Spirit reminded me of Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." (Emphasis mine)
I want true biblical hope, not some fantastical hope built on Hollywood standards that changes depending on circumstances or feelings.
This study is for you if:
You need hope to continue your life.
You are in a situation that seems impossible.
You struggle with depression or anxiety.
You battle chronic disease, pain, and illness.
You are exhausted and want to cry all the time.
You are disenchanted with life.
The main scripture for our journey is: Romans 15:13
“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Theme song for our journey is: Living Hope by Phil Wickham
You can find it here: https://youtu.be/u-1fwZtKJSM
My prayer for our 40-day journey:
Lord thank you for your Holy Spirit! I pray that as I begin this journey You will reveal to me Your definition of Hope and how to hold onto it until the end. I want to see people and events through Your eyes. Help me to take my eyes off of me and look to You, the author and finisher of my faith. You are the God of hope, please fill us with your joy and peace in believing that we may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Day 1 – What is Hope?
Do you wonder how and when things in our life will settle down?
Is the new way of eating going to produce good health results?
Will the workouts that you have been doing to strengthen your body help you feel better?
Is all that you are doing to battle this disease, illness or situation helpful, or is it an exercise in futility?
Will this relationship ever change?
Have you been praying the same prayer about the same situation for years?
Romans 5:1- 5 (NKJV) says
"Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”
According to this passage, hope is the endpoint of tribulations. In other words, tribulations produce hope. In theory, we should be VERY hopeful! But do you find yourself asking, “How did I end up here?”
Do you have hope today?
Since you are still reading this, I think you are at least hopeful or believe that being hopeful is possible.
According to Merriam-Webster, hope is both a verb and a noun. We can have hope (noun) which is the desire or belief for something to happen or be true, "I have hope today will be a good day." We can hope (verb) by wanting the desire or belief to be true, "I hope you have a good day today."
“Strong’s Concordance” defines Hope as the joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation. How does placing our hope in eternal salvation help us to handle the trials and tribulations that come our way? It changes our focus from the present to the future.
Do you often fall prey to the “Hollywood Effect” where all things have good endings? Are you disappointed that your life has not worked out like you think it should? Do you have a script that you want God to follow, and when He does not, you tend to lose hope?
I did.
I realized that my hope was not in God; it was in what He could do for me right now. My focus was not on eternal salvation but on earthly things. My focus was on me.
How about you? Is your hope in your circumstances? Is your hope in you?
My prayer
Lord, show me what hope is during this 40-day journey. Show me how to focus on eternal salvation and not be so swayed by the here and now. Teach me how to learn from tribulations and see you in everything. Thank you for loving me, teaching me and helping me to hope in You alone.
Scripture of the Day
Romans 5:1- 5 (NKJV) says
"Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance and perseverance, character; and
character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”
Challenge Questions
Spend time in prayer today and ask Holy Spirit to show you how you define hope.
How do your circumstances change your outlook?
Is your hope in Jesus?
What are some situations that you believe are hopeless?
What does ‘glory in tribulations’ mean to you?
To purchase the full e-book “40-Day Journey to Find HOPE,” check it out here.
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