February 13: Always Look For Hope In Hard Times

Affirmation: I accept my fears and doubts. I move forward anyway.

This affirmation reminds me that fears and doubts don’t control me. There are times when those emotions are warning me to be cautious and reconsider, but many times fear and doubt are emotional road blocks.
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Ponder & Personalize: This has already been a week. I have struggled memorizing this simple verse. The beautiful promise is just what I need. 


”So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.“

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭41‬:‭10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/111/isa.41.10.NIV


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Catching Whimsy: 365 Days of Possibility by Bob Goff 


                        Feb 13


Always Look For Hope In Hard Times

I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any, and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance, and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Philippians 4–12–13 ESV

It is easy to be grateful when things are wonderful, but we need to learn how to be grateful when times are difficult to. I had a lodge I worked on building for 20 years burn to the ground. It was gone in 20 minutes. That was a gut punch. Everything that was special to our family, every memento, every photograph, all gone.

It probably wasn’t a house that burned down for you. Maybe it was a relationship, or perhaps it was a career choice. Whatever it was, how do we stay grateful in the middle of these big setbacks we all face in our lives?

It is about perspective. Hard things happen for any number of reasons, but one of the outcomes is that we get the opportunity to be more conformed into God‘s image. That sounds like a big theological statement, but here’s the deal. You and I end up looking a lot more like Jesus when we recognize our desperate need for Him – and tragedy exposes our needs.

Sure, we have all experienced disappointment, but rather than remaining glum, we need to learn how to get past the moment of total letdown and move on toward the bright hope that Jesus offers for the future. If you want a different outcome, adopt a different approach when you encounter a setback. Ask yourself, How can this difficult thing equip me for the next hard thing? Then get curious about what God will do next.

Don’t try to cover over the blemishes in your life or green screen them. Finding gratefulness in the middle of hard things doesn’t mean ignoring those hard things, but instead engaging them and harnessing all the good that can be found as we grow and change. What are some of the hard things you’ve experienced? What went wrong, and how did you feel about it.?

Is there more you can learn from that experience as you move forward?

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