When the women come to stay at Shepherd’s Gate, the majority arrive having lost the desire to hope for anything. Their thinking about hope tends to lean towards wishing for something—-or someone. After having their dreams squashed, desires unmet, trust betrayed. . . they don’t have the ability to hope for anything anymore. Life to them appears to be hopeless. This hopelessness, this inability to feel hopeful about anything, makes many of our guests angry (wouldn’t any of us feel that way?). Others feel despondent, depressed, destressed, and others, well, the others just feel as though they don’t deserve anything any better. They will say, “What’s the point of hoping for it—it’s not going to happen anyway. Only good people have good things happen to them.”
As Christians, we realize that there is no hope apart from Christ. Whenever we choose to put our hope in other people, or things, it is usually just an accident waiting to happen, isn’t it?!!!! We must remember that things will often go awry, people will often fail us; however, there are three words that change everything!! Are you ready——BUT GOD SAYS!!!! BUT GOD SAYS?! Yes, indeed, BUT GOD SAYS. Whenever one of our ladies begins to tell me that she cannot ever hope to _______because she _____________. . . I always remind her—-But God says He has a plan for you (Jeremiah 29:11). But God says He has engraved your very name on His hands (Isaiah 49:16). But God says He will carry you in His arm; He will carry you close to His heart. . . (Isaiah 40:11). But God says He has kept track of your every toss and turn through the sleepless nights, each tear He has entered into His ledger, each ache He has written in His book (Psalm 56:8). But God says He rejoices over you with gladness, He quiets you with His love, He rejoices over you with singing (Zephaniah 3:17b).
The word hope in Scripture means “a strong and confident expectation.” Satan wants us to believe differently. He wants us to believe his lies. BUT GOD SAYS we have hope! I can expect God to do what He says. I can be confident that He will keep His promise! So although it is a new year, we can all be assured that because of God’s love in sending His Son—we can still have the same hope!!
