I'm Believing God

Bad news doesn't wait for a convenient time.  It is void of manners.  It isn't thoughtful or courteous.  It doesn't call ahead for an appointment.  As a matter of fact, bad news is down right rude! It springs itself on someone oblivious to how it abruptly interrupted life.

We were in Texas last week visiting grandparents and Chris' brother's family.  After being there a couple of days, we decided to take the kids to Bass Pro Shop to give grandpa and grandma a break from our three energetic kids and their 2 cousins.   Yes, 5 kids!!  You know they needed a break!  Can you blame them?

While in the van, my phone rang.  On the other end was news I was not prepared to hear.  It was the kind of news that immediately transports you to the clinical stages of denial, anger, and then finally resolution.  It was a bad doctor report of a family member. 

We arrived at Bass Pro Shop moments after the call.  I went into the immense store still numb from the freshly dropped news.  While walking around observing catfish larger than my seven year old and once living animals stuffed with skill, my denial turned to anger.

I needed time.  Time to process.  Time to pray. 

God, why? I don't understand.
Lord, help me react the way you want me to respond.  Lord, show me what to do.

Then, God spoke.

"Who are you going to believe?  The doctor's report or My Word?"

The world gives its advice willingly and oftentimes without consent.

The world offers us little hope.

The world dishes out endless buffets of discouragement to feast on. 

The world serves us worst case scenarios and expects us to lap it up. 

We can go by the world or the Word.

Do we dare hope?  How could we dare not hope?  

Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.  Hebrews 11:1

Without hope, there is no faith.

Hope that is seen is not hope: for why does one still hope for what he sees?  But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.  Romans 8:24-25

The word "hope" in the verse above is the word "elpis" in the original Greek.  Elpis means "expectation of good." 

I love this!  I may have shared it before, but I love it so much, I have to share it again! 

Biblical "hope" is different than the world's "hope".  Biblical hope is the expectation of a positive outcome.  It is believing God will do what He says He will do! 

We have to make a decision....who are we going to believe? 

Are we going to believe the world or The Word?

I'm believing God!