I love gardening. I enjoy getting my hands dirty digging in the dirt. I like looking out my window and seeing the colors in the landscape. I have a problem, though. I do not have a green thumb. I never know how much to water. I struggle with how much sun vs. shade each plant needs. I have a difficult time helping my plants grow.
Gardening reminds me of our hope. We place a seed deep in the soil hoping to see a sprout in the coming weeks. We nurture that little seed feeding it with water and sunshine. When the first bud pops through the soil, we feel a sense of achievement. Hope is a lot like this. We hope in something to come and when it finally pops through the soil and comes to fruition, we rejoice.
However, many of us have had our hopes shattered. We hope and wish and pray only to be disappointed. Time and again we get our hopes up only to have them shattered into a million pieces scattered across the floor. Because of this, we pack our hope neatly in a box and seal it tight. Oftentimes, we place a padlock on that box never to see hope again.
Here's the problem: hope doesn't grow in a box. Hope cannot flourish there. Hope needs room to grow; to spread.
We've been hurt. Dreams have been disintegrated. The pain is too much to bear so we lock our hope up in a box never to feel that rush again.
As hard as we try to bury our hope, it cannot be contained.
"Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see." Hebrews 11:1 (NLV)
You see, you cannot have hope without faith. Faith is the driving force behind our hope. Our hope begins before we know the ending. In order to hope for things unseen, we begin with our faith. Faith doesn't have to be huge. Your faith can be a tiny sliver. The size of your faith does not diminish the power of your hope.
'He replied, "Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."' Matthew 17:20 (NIV)
Your faith is powerful; so powerful it can move mountains. Let your faith drive your hope. And when you feel like your faith is gone, remember all the times He came through for you.
And even if the ending you hoped for doesn't come to fruition, remember you always have hope.
'For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.' Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
Even if, we still have hope. If our future doesn't mirror our dreams, our hope is not lost. For our future and our hope rests in eternity with Him. Now that is something to hope for.
Don't lock your hope in a box. It cannot thrive in there. You cannot put a lid on hope. It's too powerful and will always push through even when you try to stuff it down. Hope thrives in the darkness overpowering the shadows. As hard as you try to lock the lid on your hope, it will always come back. It has to.
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials." 1 Peter 1:3-6
Love & Blessings,
Meg
Gardening reminds me of our hope. We place a seed deep in the soil hoping to see a sprout in the coming weeks. We nurture that little seed feeding it with water and sunshine. When the first bud pops through the soil, we feel a sense of achievement. Hope is a lot like this. We hope in something to come and when it finally pops through the soil and comes to fruition, we rejoice.
However, many of us have had our hopes shattered. We hope and wish and pray only to be disappointed. Time and again we get our hopes up only to have them shattered into a million pieces scattered across the floor. Because of this, we pack our hope neatly in a box and seal it tight. Oftentimes, we place a padlock on that box never to see hope again.
Here's the problem: hope doesn't grow in a box. Hope cannot flourish there. Hope needs room to grow; to spread.
We've been hurt. Dreams have been disintegrated. The pain is too much to bear so we lock our hope up in a box never to feel that rush again.
As hard as we try to bury our hope, it cannot be contained.
"Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see." Hebrews 11:1 (NLV)
You see, you cannot have hope without faith. Faith is the driving force behind our hope. Our hope begins before we know the ending. In order to hope for things unseen, we begin with our faith. Faith doesn't have to be huge. Your faith can be a tiny sliver. The size of your faith does not diminish the power of your hope.
'He replied, "Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."' Matthew 17:20 (NIV)
Your faith is powerful; so powerful it can move mountains. Let your faith drive your hope. And when you feel like your faith is gone, remember all the times He came through for you.
And even if the ending you hoped for doesn't come to fruition, remember you always have hope.
'For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.' Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
Even if, we still have hope. If our future doesn't mirror our dreams, our hope is not lost. For our future and our hope rests in eternity with Him. Now that is something to hope for.
Don't lock your hope in a box. It cannot thrive in there. You cannot put a lid on hope. It's too powerful and will always push through even when you try to stuff it down. Hope thrives in the darkness overpowering the shadows. As hard as you try to lock the lid on your hope, it will always come back. It has to.
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials." 1 Peter 1:3-6
Love & Blessings,
Meg
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