Notes on Hope Devotional
Philippians 1:6
The Bible tells us in Philippians 1:6, “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” God has always intended for you to be filled to the measure with His goodness, confident in His presence, full of faith and joy, heart at rest, and perfected in His love! There is hard work yet to be done, but you can do hard things! The Lord is with you! Though we can easily lose hope and get discouraged when life’s struggles seem too much to bear, God renews our hope and our strength. We are never alone.
I wrote the following prose to help you remember that God is with you and He is for you. Use it when you’re beginning to despair or lose hope to awaken the courage the Lord has planted deep within you. May it revive your spirit and encourage you to persevere and finish your race.
Awake, my soul, awake! Arise! The Lord your God is with you! Though you stumble, you will not fall. Remember, the Lord has made a way for you, alighting the path before you. Surely, you will rise in triumph over your enemies. Your foes will be no more. Rise up now, on the wings of His perfect love for you! Delight yourself in Him, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Your life is not over yet, child. There is still work here to be done. Begin again to sing His praises! It’s time to begin again! Is the joy of the Lord not your strength? Awake, my soul, awake! Arise!
Don’t give up! Keep going! It’s time to dig deep within yourself! Strength doesn’t come from doing what you think you can do. It comes from stepping out in faith and obedience to what God has called you to do—believing His strength will rise up to meet you. Therefore, “be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the Lord is finished” (1 Chronicles 28:20).
Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.
— Isaiah 12:2
Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for helping me do the work you’ve called me to do! I confess there are days when I struggle, fail, and feel intimidated by the mountains before me. I question whether I am enough. But then you remind me of who I am: I am a child of God. I believe I am chosen, and I can move mountains! Thank you for your Holy Spirit’s presence, which strengthens me daily and encourages me never to give up. Father, help me feel the power of Your Holy Spirit flowing through me. May I never rely upon my strength but on your strength alone to empower me to follow and obey you. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.