Hope deferred makes the heart sick… (Prov. 13:12)
This is a real condition. Sickness, due to a loss of hope.
Are you struggling with it? Perhaps you’re facing a marriage that is going the opposite way you thought it would. A dream that won’t seem to come to life, despite the time you’ve spent studying to make it happen. A person who keeps turning away from your heartfelt words about God. A health scare that won’t leave you.
When you hope in God and are met with the same stuff, day-in-and-day-out the sickness of doubt and discouragement tries to settle in.
Doubt and discouragement defer hope.
Yet, faith ignites it.
“Hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.” (Eph. 6:16)
In fact, faith not only ignites hope, but it can stop an attack in its tracks.
You hold up the shield. The arrows have no place to stick to you. You are protected with steel over your chest. Your heart can’t be injured. You have the shield of faith, the enemy has no way of assault any longer.
Gaining faith in the middle of a physical, emotional or spiritual attack is not hard to do — although the enemy would try to convince us of that.
2-Step Remembrance Plan to Regain Faith
1. Remember what God did.
I remember, when my husband and I just got married, I used to get so angry when a plate broke. I would ‘go off’. It was as if the world was going to end. Yet, today, if something falls, I sweep it up without a care in the world. God healed me of momentary and heated anger that came out of nowhere.
What has He healed you of? Where has He brought you from? What work has He done in you over the years that you forget to give thanks for?
2. Remember what Jesus did.
Speak aloud to Jesus. Yes, right there, wherever you’re reading this. Say: Thank you that you died for me. Thank you that you saved me. Thank you that, through Christ, I am holy, righteous and pure. Thank you that I am redeemed. I am a new creation and I am in Christ. I am blessed. I cling on to this. I believe in your plan. I trust you. Amen.
“They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.” (Rev. 12:11)
Learn more about Kelly’s new book, Battle Ready: Train your Mind to Conquer Challenges, Defeat Doubt and Live Victoriously.
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Thank you for this, Kelly. I’ve been hearing statistics at the outset of the year that for the first time since WWI and the flu pandemic in the early 20th century, life expectancy numbers are decreasing in the U.S., and they’re pointing to “Death by Despair” as the cause. Sadly, suicide and drug related deaths are shortening the lives of those who have let go of hope. Thanks for some pretty amazing reasons to hang onto hope in Christ.
Yes! Remembering is key to knowing His heart for us!
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Yes, faith ignites hope. I love it.
Thank you for sharing! Faith and hope are 2 sides of the same coin. Beautiful!
Yes! I am determined to remember what God has already done for me, how many times He has answered me. I can shout like Mary, okay she sang, “He has done great things for me!” Then my faith gets stronger, and the verse literally says that when you take up the shield of faith, “you will be able to stop all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” (Eph 6:16)
ALL! Thank you, Jesus!!
Beautiful, super-charged words for the battle, Kelly. Amen and amen…let’s go, Jesus!
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