Hope in times like these
We are all well aware of the trauma that the recent pandemic has caused. Many people have lost their lives and families and businesses have collapsed even when they were thriving. These conditions really make one lose hope. This article will explain to you what we should hope for in God during these times. So here we go…
I. Know that God loves you.
Here are some scriptures to encourage you (all scriptures taken from the New King James Version Bible):
1 John 4:9-10
1Jn 4:9 In this was shown the love of God toward us, that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
1Jn 4:10 In this is love, not that we love God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Romans 5:5
Rom 5:5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Romans 8:31-32
Rom 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
Rom 8:32 He who spared not his own Son, but gave him up for us all, how will he not also graciously give us all things with him?
Romans 8:38-39
Rom 8:38 Wherefore I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Rom 8:39 Neither height nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Ephesians 2:4-5
Eph 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,
Eph 2:5 even though we were dead in trespasses, he made us alive together with Christ (by grace you are saved),
Eph 2:6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places with Christ Jesus,
Eph 2:7 to show in the ages to come the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
John 3:16
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but have eternal life.
II. There is hope in God
Romans_5:5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Romans 15:13 And the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Psalm_31:24 Be strong, and he will strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the Lord.
Psalm_33:18 Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, On those who hope in his mercy,
Psalm_33:22 May your mercy, O LORD, be upon us, as we hope in you.
Psalm_42:11 Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disturbed within me? Hope in god; Because I still have to praise him, Help of my face and my God.
Psalm_71:5 For you are my hope, O Lord GOD; You are my confidence since my youth.
Psalm_146:5 Blessed is he who has the God of Jacob for help, whose hope is in the Lord his God,
third God will protect you
God is interested in your soul. Why? Because He created you to fellowship with Him and love Him. You might be asking, “What am I being protected from?” Let’s see how it saves us from dangers:
Deu 31:6 Be strong and take courage, do not fear or be afraid of them; for Jehovah your God, he is the one who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”
Isaiah 41:10 Fear not, for I am with you; Do not lose heart, because I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.’
Psalms 5:11 But let all who trust in you rejoice; May they always shout for joy, because You defend them; May those who love your name also rejoice in you.
Psalms 5:12 For you, O LORD, will bless the righteous; With favor you will surround him as with a shield.
Psalm 12:5 Because of the oppression of the poor, because of the groaning of the needy, Now I will rise, saith the Lord; “I’ll put him in the security he yearns for.”
Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Psalm 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd; I will lack nothing.
Psalm 23:2 He makes me rest in green pastures; It leads me to the still waters.
Psalm 23:3 He restores my soul; He will guide me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Psalm 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; Because you are with me; Your rod and your staff comfort me.
Psalm 23:5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup overflows.
Psalm 23:6 Surely good and mercy will follow me All the days of my life; And in the house of the Lord I will dwell forever.
Psalm 121:1 I will lift up my eyes to the mountains – Where does my help come from?
Psalm 121:2 My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.
Psalm 91:1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will dwell in the shadow of the Almighty.
Psalm 91:2 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in him will I trust.”
Psalm 91:3 Surely he will deliver you from the snare of the hunter, and from the dangerous pestilence.
Psalm 91:4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will take refuge; His truth will be your shield and buckler
Psalms 91:5 You will not fear the terror of the night, nor an arrow that flies by day,
Psalms 91:6 Nor of pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of mortality that destroys at noonday.
Psalms 91:7 A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; But he won’t get close to you.
Psalm 91:8 Only with your eyes will you look, And you will see the reward of the wicked.
Psalms 91:9 For you have made the LORD, who is my refuge, the Most High for your dwelling,
Psalms 91:10 No harm will come to you, nor plague will touch your dwelling;
Psalms 91:11 For he will command his angels over you, to guard you in all your ways.
Psalms 91:12 They will hold you up in their hands, lest your foot strike a stone.
Psalm 91:13 On the lion and the cobra you will tread, you will trample the lion cub and the serpent.
Psalm 91:14 “Because he has set his love on me, I will deliver him; I will set him high, for he has known my name.
Psalm 91:15 He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will free him and honor him.
Psalm 91:16 I will satisfy him with long life, and show him my salvation.
Lastly, I want to attach an article written by The Hope Line:
God’s Plan of Salvation Bible Verses – Hope of God
Understand God’s grace and freedom for us
We believe that our greatest HOPE comes when we know that we are loved and that our future is secure.
This is the story of the Bible. God loves you and has prepared a place for you in heaven. And you can receive the gift of salvation by believing in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
There is great freedom in accepting the gift of salvation because there is nothing you can do to earn your way to heaven. Jesus gives it freely to all who believe in him. The God of the universe humbled himself to death on a cross to pay the price for all our sins. Why would he do that? Because he wants a relationship with you forever. You are so important!
To fully understand this beautiful story of salvation in Jesus Christ, here are some key verses from the Bible:
God saves us because he loves us
John 3:16-17 – For God loved the world so much that he gave his only begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:16-17
1 Timothy 1:15 – Here is a faithful word that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst. 1 Timothy 1:15
Romans 5:8 – But God shows his love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8
Jesus is the only way to be saved
John 14:6 – Jesus answered: I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Acts 4:11-12 – This Jesus is the stone rejected by you builders, which has become the cornerstone. And in no other is there salvation, because there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.
2 Corinthians 5:21 -Christ never sinned, but God put our sin on Him. So we are made right with God because of what Christ has done for us.
Ephesians 2:1-10 – As for you, you were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you lived when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit that is now. working on those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at some time, satisfying the desires of our flesh and following their desires and thoughts. Like everyone else, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive together with Christ, even when we were dead in sins, by grace you are saved. And God raised us up with Christ and made us sit with him in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, to show in ages to come the matchless riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you are saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God; not by works, so that no one can boast. Because we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God ordained in advance for us to put into practice.
Titus 3:5 – He saved us, not by works of justice that we had done, but according to his mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.
Hebrews 10:22 – Let us go straight into the presence of God with sincere hearts trusting fully in him. Because our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with the blood of Christ to cleanse us, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.
God’s plan of salvation from the book of Romans:
Romans 3:23 – For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Romans 6:23 – The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 10:9-10 – If you declare with your mouth: Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.
Romans 10:13 – For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Pray these things from your heart
If you want this hope, you can pray right now to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. It doesn’t need to be anything written. Just pray these things from your heart:
Admit that you are a sinner who needs forgiveness.
Confess your sins.
Thank Him for Jesus’ death on the cross that paid the price for those sins.
Ask him to be the Lord of your life.
If it helps, here’s an example of what you could pray:
Dear Heavenly Father,
I’m sorry for the bad things I’ve done. Please forgive me. I believe that your Son died on the cross for my sins and rose from the dead, and that is why I will enter heaven when he dies. Jesus, come into my heart and be my Lord and Savior. I willingly give you my life. Now, Father, help me to do your will. Thanks again for saving me! In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.
If you have prayed this prayer, congratulations! There is much rejoicing in heaven!
(The Line of Hope, nd)
Well, thanks for reading this article and I also do a podcast at: https://hdf.podbean.com/ Check out the recorded podcasts, I think the topic will bless you. Stay safe and let me know if you have any topics you want me to cover.
Email me at: [email protected]
JP
References
The Line of Hope. (North Dakota). God’s Plan of Salvation Bible Verses – Hope of God. Retrieved from: https://www.thehopeline.com/verses/gods-plan-of-salvation/