Prayerful Considerations - Late Night Devotional - Hope and Opportunity

Hope and opportunity have been a lot on my mind. I returned from a business conference a couple of months ago. Inspired? Yes. Hopeful? Yes. And not necessarily about being able to be top sales or anything like that. The last day of conference I was humbled by an unexpected gift that God has given me through this incredible company. Like many, my husband and I are going through some tough financial times. Up until this weekend, I have been heavily focused on our financial troubles, even consumed by them, among other things I'm dealing with right now. As a result, family vacations and special getaway trips for our anniversaries have been put on hold indefinitely. Sunday morning the company reveals that the next leadership conference is in Nashville, TN, in 2011. I lean over to a friend and tell her that's where my husband and I honeymooned. She asks me how many years will it be in 2011. It dawns on me it will be our 10^th anniversary and I start bawling. My husband and I had always dreamed of going back to Nashville for a milestone anniversary and here was our opportunity to make this dream come true through the company.

God gave me the gift of hope and opportunity. He is showing me a way to make things possible that I thought were impossible. I am now focused on this new hope and know that God will help resolve the rest in His timing. It is a reminder of a greater gift and hope He gives to all of us through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.

So, I found these verses on hope:

"My eyes are straining to see your promises come true." -- Psalm 119:82

"The Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God's promises to be fulfilled." -- Romans15:4

"With this news, strengthen those who have tired hands, and encourage those who have weak knees. Say to those with fearful hearts, 'Be strong, and do not fear, for your God is coming to destroy your enemies. He is coming to save you.' " -- Isaiah 35: 3 - 4

"Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again -- my Savior and my God! Now I am deeply discouraged, but I will remember you -- even from distant Mount Hermon, the source of the Jordan, from the land of Mount Mizar." -- Psalm 42: 5 - 6

I know that on our journeys there are many opportunities and events to discourage us and to make us sad. I hope and pray that there are equally as many (or MUCH, MUCH more!) opportunities for hope and encouragement. While I was resolving to wait patiently and hopefully and obediently on my journey with God, I feel like I have found hope again. If nothing else, my focus is on these positives rather than the negatives. I know if I move toward these positives, the negatives will get resolved.

So, I leave you with this prayer to consider:

Dear God, I pray that I find encouragement and hope through my faith along my journey with you and that it will give me the focus I need to see my journey through to the positives at the end. In your Son's name, Amen.