Hope Never Disappoints by Pastor Karena Lout, Pastor Susan Fochler and Intercessor Diane Jung

- KARENA LOUT -

A few months ago, a young adult showed up at our house pretty desperate. Unfortunately her Mom told her that there's no hope and she would have to live the rest of her life without it. I recognized that look of desperation as she shared this with me. Before I knew Jesus, I remember I'd often feel like I was suffocating, gasping for air and searching for any ounce of life I could cling onto. The good news is this young woman experienced Jesus' love for her in a powerful way and the hopelessness that once weighed so heavy in her heart is gone.   As someone who feels compassion pretty deeply, I've had to learn how to process with the Lord what my part is when people around me are suffering. I once heard someone say that empathy is feeling "With" not "For." It's important we aren't discounting people's pain or feeling responsible to fix what they're facing. The world is really looking for people who are filled with hope. Hope isn't passive. It's a substance, like faith, yet it's something we can't see. Jesus is inviting us to peer into Heaven and grab hold of it. Hope never disappoints.

- DIANE JUNG -

Romans 15:13  May God the source of all hope, fill you with all joy and peace, by means of your faith in him. so that your hope will continue to grow by the power of the Holy Spirit. (GNT) Pondering on this verse, God continuously and abundantly provides all hope. He desires to fill me, but this flowing can be impeded by my lack of trust in Him.  Growing up, I was taught that hope was an expectation or goal to be met. Recently, I was in a circumstance which I couldn't solve, so I felt out of control. Doubt kicked in and anxiety overwhelmed me. I was self-condemning myself. Why didn't I have enough faith in God? What the heck was wrong with me? As these lies were piling up, hope was being stolen, letting disappointment settle into my heart. I couldn't be present with anyone, because my mind was focused on shaming myself. Tired of feeling this way, I chose to hope. I sought ways to process my heart, with safe friends, and received inner healing prayer.  I was vulnerable with God, acknowledging that I was not able to have faith in Him to help me. Instead of feeling He was judging me, I felt Him pouring out love and empathy. Trust began to build, creating space in my heart to receive from God's abundant flow of truth. Hope became reality, and I felt so much joy and peace replacing the anxiety. Even though I thought I had less faith than a mustard seed, God took that little bit, and ran with it. Bill Johnson said "Hope and Hopelessness are both contagious. Decide the influence you would have on the world around us." No matter how hopeless your circumstances feel, I bless you to open the door to trusting God, and find "your hope will continue to grow by the power of the Holy Spirit"!

- SUSAN FOCHLER -

I’ve had quite a journey learning to embrace hope.  Before I understood the ways of the Kingdom, I dumbed down my expectations and allowed cynicism to flavor my view of the future.  I didn’t even realize it-but I had so come to expect disappointment that my heart was hardened against hope. It was just a pleasant surprise if something good happened.  But the more I experience Christ’s love and acceptance it is becoming easier to keep my heart soft as I focus on the Person of Christ, and less on circumstances and outcomes.   It is such an amazing but true statement from Col 1:27, that Christ within us is the only hope, the only source of the glory of God’s goodness and abundant life.  The power of this truth is in knowing He who created all things, who is holding this entire universe together, indwells us in full.  I cannot control or predict my future, but I can know without a shadow of a doubt that my Jesus and all of heaven is as close as my next heartbeat.