Week 41: Hope now, hope always!

 Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. (Albert Einstein)

Hope is the dream of a soul awake. (French Proverb)

What do you need most today? Do you need just a word of hope? That’s what we all need. During Sarawak election recently, many candidate offers hope to people. They sell hope for a better future, better economy breakdown, better government, better service, and better Malaysia. We all thirst for hope; a hope that someday we can see a better world, a better life, a better tomorrow. 

Maybe you’re hoping that someday you can make a different in your life. You’re hoping that someday you can feed the hungry, helping the helpless and build shelter for the poor. You’re hoping that you can be the person you’re created to be. Yes, continue to maintain a hopeful attitude in your life.

Without hope, you would give up

I overheard (actually I’m intentionally want to hear) a conversation between my mother and my aunty during wedding dinner last year. She asked my mother a penetrating question, “How’s your life without your husband?” My mother smiled and making a little adjustment on her sit, looking straight to my aunts Chinese-look eyes, saying, “I still can survive. In fact…” she looked at her two sons, “I know that my sons would be on my side.” That’s what every mother’s hope! My mother is too strong to give up. Here is my message to you: Hope is essential to your perseverance to get through the tough times.

Every dream begins with hope

Napoleon Hill writes, ‘Never forget that every dream begins with hope. Every success story with a happy ending starts with the words: “Once upon a time there was a man or woman who hoped that someday…” Your must start the same way.’ Sometime people that are closest to you may stir hope into your dream. I’m thankful to people like my brother; Warren, Albert R.Macewell, Chun Chung, Dewi Supang, my friends, and especially my readers in Motivates for Life for their words of encouragements.

Every dream needs to be reminded over and over again and that’s exactly what those people did to me. You may ask, ‘Richard, I don’t have such people in my life?’ Well, try to be one for another. Be the one who give hope and I’m sure that as you give, you’ll get it back. Every dream begins with hope.

Finish this line, “Once upon a time there was a man or woman name (your name) who hoped that someday…”

Choose hope instead of doubt

Doubt will paralyze you. Doubt is always the opposite of faith. Without hope we cannot have faith. This famous poem by anonymous said it best:

Doubt sees the obstacles

Faith sees the way.

Doubt sees the darkest night

Faith sees the day.

Doubt dreads to take a step

Faith soars on high.

Doubt questions ‘who believes?’

Faith answers ‘I’.

Hope and faith will make you see things clearer.

Hope gives you direction

Hope makes you focusing on fixed point. It helps you to travel unto the direction that you want to go. Napoleon Hill called it ‘the guiding star’. When you have your eye firmly fixed on the guiding star, it is much easier to steer toward your goal. And you can quickly decide which actions will get you there quickly and which will delay you. Without your eyes on the star, you may make many false turns before finally reach your destination.

Above all, Place your hope in God

I understand that some of you, my precious readers, are not having the same faith as I do. Therefore, I save the biblical hope last. The Bible teaches that we as His disciples are to put our trust and hope in Him alone. Psalm 31:24 says, “Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the Lord.” J.M. Farro in his devotional book, Life on Purpose, writes: As we do our part by making the decision to take our stand in faith and to place our hope in God, he has promised to do His part by strengthening us and helping us stand firm till the victory comes.

Don’t put your hope into things that change such as relationships, money, talents, beauty, even health. Set your sight on only one thing, the true ‘Guiding Star’ that will always light your way to the truth and that can never change: your heavenly Father.

Cling your hope to God’s promises in His Word. Max Lucado encourages us that “the Word of God says to us that there is no hopeless situation, no hopeless illness... If there were hopeless situations, then God would have given up long ago.”

Jesus never promised us that this world would be easy and He never promise that every time you place your hope in God things will turn out exactly the way we want them to be. But I know this, hope in Him will never left in vain. The Lord will honor it somehow. Wait for God. Wait with hope. Hope now, hope always! (Psalm 131:3 The Message)

THINK BIG.START SMALL.GO DEEP.

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