Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 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 5:1-5
My wife and I were in Florida a few days ago enjoying the sun and warm temperatures. While we were there, we got to visit a couple of fun theme parks and enjoyed some crazy good food. We saw a little bit of wildlife there, plus some interesting critters at one of the parks. It was a good getaway for a few days. Many places that we went to were landscaped with palm trees and tropical plants. Among the plants were all kinds of flowers.
There's just something about flowers that brings the thought of hope to mind in me. There's the hope of a warm spring, the hope of good crops in the garden, and the hope of hummingbirds and bumble bees visiting the patio.
I've been thinking about hope lately as I read the Bible, and hoping for particular things at the same time. We get into ruts sometimes wondering what the future holds. And I'm as guilty as anyone else for worrying about the future even after God commands us not to fear several times in His word. I fully believe the devil whispers lies in our ears to cause us to stumble in the area of fear.
Don't forget to go outside and explore the things God has made even if it's just in your own back yard!
In Christ,
Kevin-