Gaining Strength When You Need Hope

Do you ever have a day when you simply lose heart? Do you need hope on those days? I sure do, and it is not always easy to get to that place when I “feel” hopeful on those tough days.

I like to try and meditate on this verse on these days:

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

Romans 15:13 (emphasis added)

This verse strengthens me, refreshes me, and reminds me that HE is the God of hope. It is the power of His Spirit to fill us with that HOPE!

Grab my free printable at the end of this post that contains other verses on HOPE!

And we all need this reminder of Hope sometimes. Do you need strength today? Do you need hope today? Let me encourage you that hope is so close……read on, friend.

Why You Need Hope

All of of us have some fun and quirky parts of who we are. Like do you hide snacks in your home? Have you ever re-gifted a gift from someone else? How about making your bed every morning?

These things are who we are on the surface, but what about some of the deeper, more intimate details about who we are. The things that keep us up at night or cause us to stay home? God, of course, knows all those nuggets about who we are already, right?

Most of us women have fears and struggles, things that weigh on us, and even determine our behavior. Many of us try to control things out of our control – or is it just me…ha ha! But we know we cannot control even a fraction of what we try to.

This is why you need hope!

To some extent, these fears or worries daily impact our lives. Our hope is that we are not alone and that something….or someone bigger than us is on the job. He is the maker of the mountains!

Jesus has given us this promise of hope in Hebrews 7:25.

Therefore, he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.
Hebrews 7:25

“He” is Jesus and HE is pretty amazing!!! We celebrate the HOPE on Easter Sunday. Some years I might fully “get” the power of the empty tomb and what Jesus accomplished for ME on that day! Other years though, I don’t “feel” the hope that comes with the celebration of Christ’s resurrection.

Despite what we feel though, He rose from the grave and conquered death and hell that day.

He knows all the crazy things in our heads that us ladies walk around with every single day. He knows our struggles. He knows our worries. He knows when we are just not feeling it. He knows we need hope.

He is Our Hope

This is where this verse in Hebrews reminds me of HOPE!!

Verse 25 starts off by stating:

Therefore, he is able to save completely…

“Therefore” – this word always tells me “take notice of what is written before it.” The full message of this chapter is about the great high priest Melchizedek, whose name means king of righteousness. He is also known as the King of Peace since He ruled the city of Salem, which means “peace.” Melchizedek is also the one who visited Abram in the OT after Abram rescued Lot, and he blessed him with the promises of God. Abraham gave this king a tithe, a tenth of all he had.

This 7^th chapter of Hebrews continues to tell us that Jesus is “A priest forever in the order of Melchizedek” vs. 17. Jesus is also the king of righteousness and He is our peace, right??? It says that a better hope is introduced….Hallelujah! The One they had been waiting for – Jesus Himself.

HOPE!! We have hope that he is able to save us completely!!

Because of who Jesus is, the perfect priest, He is fully able and capable of saving us completely. That means there is nothing in the past that He has not saved you from, in the present that He can’t save you from, and nothing in the future that He won’t save you from!

You are completely forgiven, completely delivered, completely free in Jesus – the perfect priest and savior!

How to Obtain Hope

There is a responsibility on our part though, right – there usually is. But it is truly so simple.

…those who come to God through him…

We must come to him. Then, when we come and accept Jesus into our hearts, we are brought into right relationship with God. We cannot save ourselves, we need our sins atoned for, and it is Jesus who is our hope – the perfect sacrifice to pardon our sins.

The most amazing part….it is available to everyone!!! There is no one who is excluded or turned away. God will take all of us.

Ephesians tells us in 2:18 (NLT) “Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us…” ALL of us are able to come, all because of Jesus.

We can have hope in knowing that all we must do is come, and we are welcomed in to the family of God. Because Jesus lives. And that is what’s stated in the very next part of the verse:

…because he always lives to intercede for them.

Jesus is ALWAYS living, so He is also ALWAYS, ALWAYS interceding — intervening, pleading, petitioning God — for YOU. The MESSAGE translation says that “he is always on the job to speak up for them” – for YOU. He is speaking on your behalf to Abba Father.

How??? Well, the rest of this chapter in Hebrews answers this question for us.

Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. ²⁷Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. ²⁸For the law appoints as high priests men in all their weakness; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.”
Hebrews 7:26-28

Jesus is the perfect sacrifice – holy, blameless, pure, set apart – and the ONLY one able to intercede on your behalf. And He does….continually! He can truly meet your needs! He will meet your needs.

When you are overcome with weakness, He is asking God the Father to give you strength. When you are feeling afraid, Jesus is praying that God would increase your trust and faith through the fearful circumstance. When we are grieving, Jesus is praying that God would comfort you.

No matter the need, we can have HOPE that Jesus is there.

Gaining Strength

When you are in right standing with God, accepted Him as your King, Jesus will have your back! You are strengthened when you come to Him recalling all that He has done and all that He continues to do for you today.

Do you believe that He is able to save you completely? That you are right with God because of Him? Do you realize that Jesus is standing in the gap for you, praying for you? He can. You are. And He is!!!

Today I want to remind you of this HOPE! No matter what you face today….Jesus is interceding for YOU. Gain strength from Him and the hope of His Holy Spirit!!

Best,

Grab my free printable that contains other verses on HOPE! You can meditate on these and gain strength as your heart is reminded of His love that brings hope.