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BREAD FOR THE JOURNEY BLOG@ Rhythms of Grace: a Journey into RestSustenance for the journey into rest and peace
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NEW SERIES: A HOPE-FILLED YEAR ‘A happy new year’, to all my visitors, old friends and new. Let’s look forward to a year filled with grace-gifts, as we journey together into greater dimensions of rest... '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] May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. [Romans 15:13] 2025 is underway, and many are feeling apprehensive about what the year holds. Despite the gathering darkness in world affairs, and maybe in our personal lives too, we need to be able to walk in faith. In order to do this, we have to have hope. In common English, we use the word ‘hope’ in a rather feeble way, as a wish or desire: ‘I hope it will be a nice day’, ‘I hope to visit Europe next year’, or ‘I hope I get a good exam result’. Biblical hope is rather different—and is much more powerful. Biblical hope is the confident and joyful expectation of good—and it is rooted in our trust in a loving Heavenly Father. A few years ago, I heard this quotation attributed to Francis Frangipane (I know nothing about this author except this quote which resonated with me): ‘Every area of our lives not glistening with hope means we are believing a lie, and that area is a stronghold of the enemy.’ It’s a statement which can be a game-changer for those who take it on board. So often we accept our anxieties and fears as an unavoidable part of life, however, the Lord offers a better way. And right now, at the beginning of a new year, is a good time to do a ‘life-audit’ with this in mind. HOPE HEALTH-CHECK Allocate some time to spend with the Lord. Become really quiet inside, turn your focus on Him and ask Him, ‘Which areas in my life are not glistening with hope? Where am I anxious and fearful, where am I not at rest? Then, taking each item He brings to mind in turn, ask Him what is stopping you from confidently and joyfully expecting good. BARRIERS TO HOPE We all have hope-barriers to deal with. Some of the common ones are: Disobedience: ongoing, intentional sin, or disobedience to a specific personal instruction (like Jonah), has an effect on our communion with the Lord, and our faith in His provision for us. Make 2025 a year to take action—seeking help if necessary. Disappointment: the past can stop us looking forward with hope. We can be disappointed with ourselves, because we have missed the mark in some way, (See Missing The Mark for help with this); other people may have failed us and need to be forgiven; the memories of discouraging circumstances may need to be released; and any disappointment with God needs to be acknowledged, and a choice made to trust Him. Self-pity: can so easily follow disappointment. The refusal to see ourselves as victims, and the refusal to look for sympathy from others are keys to finding hope in difficult situations. Fear: any situation which is not hope-filled, probably has some fear attached—in particular, the fear that God won’t show up. Fear is faith in the power of evil, and we need to choose to turn away from this, and believe what God says about Himself. (The core meaning of the Greek word for ‘repentance’ is to change one’s thinking.) Lies: a lack of ‘glistening hope’ means that at some level we are believing one lie or several—about ourselves, our circumstances, or about God. Ask the Lord to identify them for you; then find out the truth: ask other Christians or search the internet for relevant Bible verses. In addition, because what comes out of our mouths is so important, begin to declare God’s truth about your situation over your life and situation. The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. [Proverbs 18:21] You can read more about the importance of what we think and say, in New Mindsets. We will look more closely at these blockages in later posts in this series… so stay tuned! Despite the Evil One ‘roaring like a lion’ [1 Peter 5:8], may every aspect of 2025 be glistening with hope for us all! THIS WEEK’S GRACE RHYTHM
NEXT WEEK: HOPE ISN'T A MINDSET--IT'S A PERSON Hope isn’t conjured out of thin air… GET IN TOUCH!
[Photo credits: Boliviainteligente (2025); Nathan Dumlao (door); Art Lasovsky (pen) @ Unsplash, with thanks]
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