Hope Without Limits

Because it’s true. Unconditional hope is true.  That’s WHY I write.

To be honest, I’ve never really liked “why“.  It only seemed to cause people more pain.  My preferred question has been “what’s next Lord”.  That question seemed much more useful.

Yet today there is a pressure within me to share with you my “why”.  In doing so, I’m also seeing that why is not limited to my one-dimensional “danger, danger – this will only make life more painful and frustrating category”.

Ha! I just heard in my spirit as I typed the paragraph above “used appropriately, why can actually be a rallying cry; an invitation to discovery; and the motivation to persevere”.

Well Jesus, any or all of those 3 things are reason enough for me to write this post!

Life for me continues to be very full of big opportunities for God to show up, also sometimes called challenges and/or problems.  If you’re wondering whether some of the “big opportunities for God to show up” in my life are repeats, the answer is yes.  But that doesn’t mean there is no hope or God does not love me.  It only proves I have an enemy seeking to destroy me.  (1 Peter 5:8, John 10:10)  My list of “big opportunities” will look very different from your list, but I have no doubt you have a list.  How do I know that?

I have told you these things,
so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence.
In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration;
but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]!
For I have overcome the world.
[I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]
John 16:33 – Amplified Translation

My “why” rallying cry to you is: don’t give up.  Regardless of your circumstance there is unconditional hope.  Our enemy wants you to doubt that truth.  He likes the word “if”.  (Matthew 4:3-11)  If God loved you; if God was merciful; if God was all powerful then “fill in the blank” would not look this way/be this way/have happened.  Over and over and over in my life I have both personally experienced and witnessed in the lives of countless others God taking what the enemy purposed for evil and turning it to His good purpose  just as He did for Joseph (Genesis 50:20).

My “why” invitation of discovery to you is:  wrestle with God.  He welcomes your gut-level questions because He already knows what you are carrying around inside of you.  He wants you to know so that He can provide real answers that will bring freedom to your life, changing the way you walk through life.  (Isaiah 1:18).  Wrestling with God literally changed Jacob’s identity to Israel “one who wrestles with God”.  That wrestling occurred when Jacob believed he was in a hopeless situation and his past was about to catch up with him and destroy him.  Jacob could not reconcile God’s promises of blessing to what he was seeing in his circumstances.  It took wrestling with God to release into Jacob’s  life the fullness of what God had purposed for Jacob including who he had created him to be, Israel. (Genesis 32)

My “why” persevere motivation to you is: every success story you’ve ever seen can be you.  How do I know that?  His mercies are new every morning; His faithfulness is great; and, His love never ends. (Lamentations 3:22-23).  His purposes are to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a hope and a future.  (Jeremiah 29:11)  How am I so sure life can be different?  I’ve never seen 2 identical sunrises or sunsets, have you?   Yesterday’s tomorrow is now today and completely unique.   What’s so great about unique?  Good question. “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9)

Back to my original question – why do I write, because unconditional hope is real.  Been there.  Done that.  Got a life that proves it.