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Verse:O Lord, you alone are my hope. I’ve trusted you, O LORD, from childhood. —Psalm 71:5, NLT
There is no disputing that 2020 was a difficult year.
A pandemic caused restrictions on our lives.
Businesses closed. Children attended classes virtually.
Parents struggled to juggle jobs and help their children with schoolwork. Churches closed their doors and moved services online.
Relatives and friends passed away.
And yet, we pressed on. How? Trusting that God is our hope no matter what the world looks like. We can have hope as we trust Him.
Hope for a brighter future. Hope to look forward to the future. Hope to know that no matter how bad things seem, things will get better.
Hope that with every passing day and every leaf that falls in the autumn months, a new one will grow and take its place come spring.
We must and should look forward with expectation.
With hard work, yes. Hard work enables us to reach our goals.
We are not to sit idle; these are busy days.
We can work together with God, trusting Him to bless our work and give us the courage and hope each day. I was thinking of a rose and how strong its roots must be to sustain it and how its thorns protect it. The strong roots and thorny protection enable it to go on to produce a beautiful, sweet-smelling flower.
We need to stay strong and be protected to live a life that produces a sweet-smelling aroma that reveals Christ to others.
As the thorns protect the rose, we also have protection in the armor of God, which enables us to “stand firm against all strategies of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11, NLT). Paul encourages us, “Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil” (verse 13). So, stay rooted, my friend.
Be strong in Jesus with the armor of God: the helmet of salvation, the breastplate of righteousness, the belt of truth, the sandals of peace, the shield of faith, and the sword of the Spirit. “I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13, NLT).
Laura A. Canning