Maintaining Hope … Even While You Wait

During my years of ministry, I’ve been amazed at all the different things people put their hope in. They’ll trust in their church traditions…their doctors…the advice of their friends…the ideas of a TV host or author…or simply their own wisdom.

Jesus told us the only sure way to nurture our hope and build our lives upon a reliable foundation is to study His Word and put it into practice (Matthew 7:24-27). This requires more than just a casual effort, because we must dig deep in order to lay our foundation on solid rock (Luke 6:46-49).

On a bright and sunny day, it might not matter much what kind of foundation your house has. But Jesus warned in these passages that the storms of life will surely come, testing what our lives are built upon.

As a new year begins, I encourage you to take some time to let the Holy Spirit examine your heart and reveal what your hope and faith have been built upon. Is your life stormproof? Or have you built your house on the sand of human wisdom and strength?

Choose to Have Faith in God

The Bible describes faith not only as a gift from God (Romans 12:3, Ephesians 2:8), but also as a choice on our part. For example, Proverbs 3:5 commands: Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.

This means we all have an important moment-to-moment decision to make: Will we believe the promises of God or depend on our own reasoning instead?

As someone who has personally witnessed supernatural healings on nearly every continent on earth, I’m always amazed when someone raises the question of whether God still does miracles today. Whether you need a healing in your body, recovery from emotional wounds, or some other kind of breakthrough, God wants you to know He’s WILLING and ABLE to come to your aid!

Yes, God is still in the miracle-working business today, just as He was in the days when Jesus walked the earth: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever ” (Hebrews 13:8).

This means that the same supernatural power that touched lives 2,000 years ago is available to you and your loved ones today. If you’re a born-again follower of Jesus, you’re a walking miracle. In fact, Romans 8:11 makes an astounding declaration: The same power that raised Christ from the dead now lives in YOU!

Faith and Patience

People often ask me why their miracle seems to be delayed even after they’ve prayed or even fasted. Although I don’t claim to understand each and every situation, I know that healing and other miracles sometimes are delayed because of God’s timing or our need to persevere in faith. At other times, we are “destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6), believing misconceptions about what the Bible really teaches.

Even as we wait, we must not give up trusting that our miracle is on the way: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9 NIV). We shouldn’t get discouraged if we don’t see instantaneous breakthroughs every time we pray, for the Bible says it takes “faith and patience” to activate God’s promises (Hebrews 6:12).

Like the woman who persisted in petitioning the unjust judge (Luke 18:1-8), we must learn to “pray and not lose heart” – if necessary, crying out to our good Father day and night until our answer comes.

Friend, I encourage you to resolve in your heart that you’ll keep your hope alive by trusting in the promises of God. Use your spiritual authority over the devil’s work. Keep standing in faith, with unwavering confidence that God will fulfill His Word.