Hope and Strength

Hope in the Lord Brings Renewal

God put it on my heart to share this devotion:

You may currently be on the mountaintop or in the valley down below; wherever this day finds you, I pray this message meets you there.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. The year is winding down; a new season is around the corner. Fall will change to Winter, and Spring will follow soon after.

I sit on the couch reflecting on the past year and current situations. A bare Christmas tree, adorned with only lights for now, glimmers quietly in the corner.

I pray a little, then open my phone and come across a beautiful devotion about disappointments and hope, which inspires my own meditations.

Although I’ve read Isaiah 40:31 many times before, something new popped out at me—how closely hope and strength are related. Hope is not just an abstract feeling. It impacts us in tangible ways. Proverbs 13:12 drives home this truth, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick.”

This is so true. Have you ever felt this before?

Whenever our hopes are put off, our dreams left unfulfilled, our hopes dashed, crushed, dismissed, or completely crushed, it does something to our spirits and bodies. Our hearts feel broken, our bodies physically ache.

As in all things, God’s Word has the answer: Hope is the key to unlocking healing throughout.

Scripture tells us that hope renews our strength; it affects our health, our body, and our spirit.

Isaiah 40:31, “but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint.”

The object of our hope is key. Hope in the Lord is what brings renewal.

With hope we can overcome obstacles, rise from defeat, and recognize the lies of the enemy. Hope is the antidote for despair. With hope we instead soar like an eagle, freely and unencumbered, riding the currents of the air so high up in the sky.

Hope changes our perspective. From this vantage point our troubles look small and momentary in light of the glory that awaits us.

2 Corinthians 4:17-18, “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. ¹⁸ So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

The cure for a downcast soul is to hope in the Lord, who never fails us or lets us down.

Psalm 42:11, “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him,

my Savior and my God.”

The Lord, He is the God of hope, of healing, strength, power, joy, peace, purpose, and so much more than we can fathom. He invites us to hope in Him.

Jeremiah 29:11, “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.”

Here’s a short prayer in response:

O Lord, I put my hope in You today. Cleanse me of all worry, fear, regret. Help me to draw near to You and receive Your reassurance. God, wash me in Your peace, Your love, hope, comfort, and joy. Help me to believe You and find rest and renewal in Your presence. Strengthen my body, heart, and spirit. I praise You, my Savior and my God.

Amen.

God is our hope in every season. Let’s give thanks and praise Him!