HOPE AGAIN!

I had the privilege last Saturday to speak at our annual Women's Fall Luncheon at the Historic Smithville Inn right here in Southern New Jersey for a group of 110 ladies.

I was one of three speakers along with a lovely group who shared their gifts in music. The event took months to plan and seemed to fall apart the week before. BUT GOD...(I love those words) had His plan all along! He was faithful - as always and all we had to do was TRUST Him!

Then... we watched as God truly was the Master Conductor that day of a great orchestra of women. Each did their part, keeping a close eye on the Conductor's hand as He led us to play the magnificent symphony He had planned! What a day. Our theme verse is on the photo (Romans 15:13).

Here are my cliff notes as I was the last of the speakers tying it all together.

Our theme was: HOPE AGAIN!

Have you lost all hope? Are there giants in the land where you live ; things we carry with us wherever we go - pushing them down - yet feeling helpless to defeat them?

We all have them:

Our past...our diseases—
our fears— our divorces—
our victimizations— our traumas—
the death of a parent—
the death of a spouse—

the death of a friend or sibling—
the death of a child—
our addictions of every kind—
or even - our own sin….

What is YOUR Goliath? How do we respond to them? How do we gain HOPE AGAIN to overcome them?

• Psalm 62: 5-8 says:

Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
My salvation and my honor depend on God; He is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge. [emphasis mine]

3 Principles in finding HOPE AGAIN:

#1 = PRAYER = "Prayer... activates what God has already purposed in your life!"

• Jeremiah 29:11-12

11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.

#2 = PRAISE

• Hebrews 13:15

Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess His Name. [Italic mine]

Praising God... beats the devil at his own game. It's the very thing he hates the most because he can't make a move toward us when we praise the Name of Jesus Christ!

#3 = GOD'S WORD

• 2 Timothy 3:16-17

16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

There is no other substitute, no other book , no other place where the warm breath of God can leap off the page - into the heart of you and me.

All 3 bring the very PRESENCE of GOD!

Are you ready to find HOPE AGAIN?
You can - in GOD ALONE!

Choosing JOY,

Stephanie