Never Give Up Hope

Never give up hope

Sometimes it is difficult to imagine that things will ever be different than they are right now. Perhaps circumstance or a person has caused a heavy burden upon your heart and it seems as if it has become a part of who you are. Life looks endlessly the same. It is times like these that we tend to slip into praying not believing that change will happen. O, sure, we know it is possible but we don't actually believe it. How can we? Our prayers have made little difference thus far, or so it seems. The hope we once had has dwindled to merely a thimbleful or has long since disappeared completely.

Hope. "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." Romans 15:13

If we do not have hope, then how are we different than our unsaved neighbor or friend? What difference is Jesus making in our life?

Be encouraged by Manasseh. You may read his entire story in 2 Chronicles 33, here are some excerpts:

2 Chronicles 33 (1-2) Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. But he did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel...(6) he caused his sons to pass through the fire in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom; he practiced soothsaying, used witchcraft and sorcery, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke Him to anger. (9) So Manasseh seduced Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to do more evil than the nations whom the LORD had destroyed before the children of Israel. (10-13) And the LORD spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they would not listen. Therefore the LORD brought upon them the captains of the army of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh with hooks, bound him with bronze fetters, and carried him off to Babylon. Now when he was in affliction, he implored the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, and prayed to Him; and He received his entreaty, heard his supplication, and brought him back to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD was God.

Manasseh did evil - he rebuilt the high places, raised up altars to false gods, worshiped the host of heaven, sacrificed his sons, practiced soothsaying, witchcraft and sorcery; he did much evil in the sight of God. Imagine his mother or wife's perspective watching him do much evil. It appeared hopeless and yet the Lord spoke to him and change happened.

God stepped in.

Never loose hope, because at any moment God can step in. God can change circumstances and hearts, even it it's your own.

Diane