4th May 2021
LOVE DETERMINANTS
David Abankwah
(SERIES: Day 14)
…..hopes all things…..
-1 Corinthians 13:7 | NKJV
To have hope is to cherish or desire with anticipation. It also means to desire with expectation of obtainment or fulfilment or to expect something or someone with confidence. Faith is built on hope. The expectation of obtaining someone or something is what builds a mental picture or foresight, that makes you believe you can have or you already have what you want (faith). There can be hope without faith, but there can’t be faith without hope. It is important to note that, hope is one of the Christian virtues every believer need to have and it works within the space of the greatest virtue called love. If you love people, everything will not go well as planned.
Love is not all about good times. If bad times keep coming, can you anticipate that there will be a turn around? When you love God, you will surely have hope in Him because love has hope embedded in it. You see, before you can have hope, there must be a certain promise you have to depend on before. It is based on this promise, that actualises hope. Hope depends on faith. Likewise, God has made numerous promises to us in His word and we ought to have hope in them that He will surely fulfil. If you are a believer and you always need a piece of evidence before you can have hope, then a tree is more important than you. Why am I saying this? I am saying this because of Job 14:7.
It reads: “For there is HOPE FOR A TREE When it is cut down, that it will sprout again, And its shoots will not fail. -JOB 14:7 | NASB. Even if a tree has hope that ‘things will be alright; better future is ahead of me; I will surely succeed even though my present condition I am in suggests otherwise,’ then as humans, we have to do better. Today, hoping in the Lord has become a tug of war. A little pull, then many people are on the floor lamenting. Look at the 120 people who had hope for the incoming of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:14). Notice their zeal and you will definitely know that, they really deserved to have the Spirit of God (Acts 2:4). They had hope in the Lord even though it tarried for days.
There is no hope without the test of waiting. Even though the desire for anticipation tarries, it doesn’t mean it will not come. You have to develop your patience so you can be steadfast in hope. Many people can’t place their hope in God just because they have suffered from broken heart when they placed their hope in people. You can’t have the good things of God if you are impatient like a swine (Matthew 7:6). A little test of hope, then you will see swines feeding on the refuse dump. God never fails in fulfilling His promises. It is the fault on our part for not waiting patiently on Him. When you truly love someone and things are not working well, that is when hope must be applied.
•| Prayer Diary |•
¹Lift up prayers to be hopeful anytime there are specific instances of short-sightedness. ²Lift up prayers for the positive feeling that you can also have eternal life instead of the feeling of uncertainty. ³Lift up prayers to channel all your expectations in God that He will never fail you. ⁴Lift up prayers for spiritual maturity to the point that God can even confide in you. ⁵Lift up prayers to be optimistic all the time instead of being pessimistic in life and ministry in the name of Jesus Christ.
Quote
“Hope says if today is worst, tomorrow will be the best”
One-Year Bible Reading Plan
1 Chronicles Chapters 17-19
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© 2021 David Abankwah
David Abankwah 