Hope today!

As for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more.— Psalm 71:14

In September 1988, Hurricane Gilbert devastated the Louisiana coast. At that time, it was considered “The Storm of the Century.”

It battered the shoreline, severely disrupting the shrimping business that so many people depend on in that part of the state. Many shrimping families lost their boats and, in the eyes of most, their livelihoods.

But one morning after the storm, the local news interviewed a shrimp boat owner who’d lost nearly everything. He was asked how the storm would impact his family and the shrimping industry. With the devastation of Gilbert as a backdrop, the man said, “Well, there is a good side. The storm will have stirred up the bottom of the ocean, making for better shrimping once we’re able to get back out there.”

Hope is more than a comfort in times of loss. It’s fuel for pressing forward with expectation. And for the believer, that expectation is placed in the unwavering promises of God.

Maybe you’re facing a painful loss today. Perhaps you’re struggling financially or physically. Don’t give up hope. Instead, lift up your eyes and see that the God who loves you unconditionally still holds you in His hands.

Praise Him today as you renew your hope in Him. When you do, you’ll discover that hope in Almighty God never disappoints.

Prayer Challenge

Pray that God will give you the strength to not only hope in Him, but also praise Him as testimony of your hope.

Questions for thought

What situation are you facing today that you can hand over to the Lord?

How would placing your hope in God free you to praise Him?