Having fresh hope for the new year doesn’t come easily for me.

Let’s be honest, we don’t all go bouncing into a new year enthusiastically, do we?

Sometimes we dive into the new year with celebratory excitement, and sometimes we tiptoe into it with cautious apprehension.

When You Fear the Unknown

Over the winter break, I took my kids to the local indoor pool. 

Four of the five kids that accompanied me that morning, jumped right in without the slightest bit of hesitation. 

Having been there before, they were familiar with their surroundings, and were aware that the water was warm and not terribly deep.

My 2 year old, however, stood at the edge, watching and waiting, as the others called to her from the water. 

Slowly, carefully, she dipped her right foot in.

Then her left.

She waded there a bit, watching the others play to their hearts delight.

Once she determined that the water was safe, then— and only then— did she slip the rest of her body in. 

For those of us who have experienced great hardship, I think going into the new year can be a bit like my daughter’s experience at the pool. 

We stand at the precipice of the new year, looking out at the horizon, and approach it with caution. 

Truly there is nothing we can do to avoid the inevitable. Eventually we will have to make the leap. 

But that leap doesn’t always prove easy when you’ve been sobered by reality.

There’s much that I look forward to at the start of a new year. 

A fresh, clean slate. 

Invigorated intention. 

Endless possibilities.

And there’s always that popular scripture about God making all things new! (Isaiah 43:18-19)

These are the things that make me giddy!

But, if I’m honest, there’s another side of me that looks ahead at all of the unknowns, and hesitates to enter in.

Call me grim, but having been introduced early on, to suffering and sorrow, I know that the future does not always look merry and bright. 

On the contrary, this life is full of hardship and pain.
Rejection and betrayal.
Love and loss.
Illness and despair.

We have no way of knowing the details of what awaits us up ahead. And lacking that information can make us fearful of the future. 

Even our best laid plans can never ensure us a year free of hardship or trial.

This life offers us no guarantees.

How does one hold onto hope when we have no way of knowing what lies up ahead? #hope #faith Share on X

Lessons from Proverbs 31

I am both inspired and perplexed by the Proverbs 31 woman.

Scripture tells us:

“She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.” — Proverbs 31:21

She laughs without fear of the future..

Doesn’t that sound wonderful? And a bit far-fetched, if we’re honest.

My question (and maybe yours too) is HOW do we look upon our future without fear of what it might hold?

As I pondered this, a closer look at the scriptures, revealed a startling discovery!

Where We Place Our Hope Matters

Jeremiah 17:7 reads:

“Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, and have made Him their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat, or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and never stop producing fruit.”

Jeremiah reminds us that the Lord is our hope and our confidence.

And Him alone. 

Not our circumstances.
Not things.
Not people.
Not our expectations.

But God, Himself!

The Promises of God

We are not necessarily promised an easy tomorrow.

Or a year without suffering.

Or a life without loss.

But what we ARE promised is just like the trees planted along the waters, we will flourish. And God will be our portion.

He alone will satisfy.

He alone will sustain us.

He alone will produce in us, that which nothing else can.

What’s more, is that He promises to go with us!

“When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.” — Isaiah 43:2

Therefore, come heat or comfort..

Come famine or plenty..

Come joy or pain.. 

I put my Hope in the One whose very name is Hope!

Standing at the Precipice of Choice

We can stand at the edge of the waters of life with fear and trepidation, as we consider all that “could” go wrong, or..  we can slip ourselves under the watery surface, knowing that our Hope is secure in the One who promises His presence no matter what comes our way.

Our hope is secure in the One who promises His presence no matter what comes our way. #livinghope #Jesus Share on X

This year, I want my roots to go down deep into the soil of HOPE. 

Forgetting what lies behind, and looking forward to what lies ahead. (Philippians 3:13)

Suffering is temporary, but hope is eternal.

May 2019 be the year we laugh without fear of our future!

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future.” -Jeremiah :29:11