Hello friend --
2022 has been a hard year but in the middle of it, I found HOPE!
In true creative form, I started to write about it. I'm part of a writing group called The Crooked Crown Writing Society and in the midst of the pandemic, we decided to combine our writings and this culminated in a book entitled Hope is ...
Below, please find one of the devotions from the book as a special gift to you!:)
... published by Bold Vision Books, written along with Kristy Townsend Ensor and DeAnn Boutwell Starling. 45 Devotions to Draw You Closer to a Never-Changing God.
Minus the Less (by Sue:)
"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." Isaiah 40:31
Hope. Such a tiny word. Yet it has the power to hold the world’s very existence in its hand. To live life happily and “expect with confidence” provides a skip in our daily steps. But when hope is absent from our lives, we feel powerless. Unable to escape our shadows.
You know which ones I mean—those dark figures that are bigger than we are. They skulk around, following our every move. Attaching themselves to us night and day, all the while blocking the light in our life.
I’ve struggled with the absence of hope at various times throughout my life. Have you ever walked into a room and exclaimed, “Woah, it’s dark in here.” only to discover your sunglasses were still on your face?
Herein lies the problem. Without light, we cannot see. It’s plain and simple. We stumble around with perpetual blindfolds over our minds’ eyes. Unable to avoid the pitfalls that surround us. We become exhausted. Rest eludes us. Not a break is in sight as we find ourselves in a never-ending race against time. Tripping over everything life brings our way. Hopelessness becomes the word of the day.
When hope arrives, though, it is akin to the light the sun provides. It brightens and brings warmth to our paths. Allowing us to clearly see what is right in front of us. Shedding light on what was behind us and, more than anything, opening a clear view of what the future holds.
Hope transforms us. It’s like when a snake sheds its skin and underneath there is a fresh, new layer. A snake doesn’t stop to pick up the old skin and take it with him. He leaves it behind, never looking back.
You see, it makes the utmost sense because it no longer fits. Its usefulness is over. When hope arrives in our lives, hopelessness is like that old skin. It is dried up and useless. Once we get a taste of how amazing hope feels and marvel at how well it fits, we no longer want to put on that old covering. That would be silly.
Isaiah 40:31 lays this out so eloquently for us. I’ve always loved that personification—They will soar on wings like eagles. The unique thing about an eagle’s wings is that they are long and wide, helping the bird soar and glide with little effort. Hope does that. We no longer need to scratch and crawl through life wondering when the next break will happen. Instead, we hope. We stand solid on the fact that God is our hope. Gliding is our new method of transportation. Our former cumbersome and arduous stride is now replaced with a smooth and graceful stroll.
What if we just stepped out of the way every time “less-ness” tried to attach itself to our hope? I believe it would disappear, like a puff of smoke. Poof. Gone. Present for only a moment, but then gone the next. For without our attention, without us feeding it, without a backward glance, it loses its power. Hopelessness can’t exist without a host.
We don’t need to search for hope constantly. It is within grasp right now. All we need to do is reach out, put it on, and get ready to soar.
Dear Father,
Thank You for wrapping up the gift of hope and leaving it where we can easily find it. Your gift is wrapped so beautifully with Your love. That’s plain to see, for every time we even tug on the ribbon, our hope is renewed. Amen.
Growing in Hope
1. Describe a time when hopelessness was part of your wardrobe, only for you to look back now and see that God had a new outfit, in your size, ready and waiting for you.
2. How has hope changed the light on your path?
3. What emotions does the phrase “they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” evoke in you?
My prayer for you is that HOPE will surround you daily and more than anything, that you will give God the glory!
With Vizion,
