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  document.writeln("<span class=\"body\"><b><span class=\"headings2\"><span class=\"actsititle\">The Thrill of Hope</span></span></b><br>");
  document.writeln("<span class=\"actsilinks\"><a href=\"#\" onclick=\"window.print()\">Print this page</a></span>");document.writeln("<br><div id='actsartcl1'>");document.writeln("<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height:normal\"><i><span lang=\"EN\" style=\"font-size:12.0pt;background:white;mso-highlight:white\">But as for me, I");
document.writeln("watch in hope for the <span style=\"font-variant:small-caps\">Lord</span>, I wait");
document.writeln("for God my Savior. My God will hear me.</span></i><i><sup><span lang=\"EN\" style=\"font-size:12.0pt\">1</span></sup></i><i><span lang=\"EN\" style=\"font-size:");
document.writeln("12.0pt\"></span></i></p>");
document.writeln("<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height:normal\"><i><span lang=\"EN\" style=\"font-size:12.0pt\">&nbsp;</span></i></p>");
document.writeln("<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height:normal\"><span lang=\"EN\" style=\"font-size:");
document.writeln("12.0pt\">In the early 1970s, researchers set up a famous experiment with young");
document.writeln("children known as the Marshmallow Test. In this demonstration, a child was");
document.writeln("placed in a room with a marshmallow in front of them on a table. The child was");
document.writeln("told, \'€œYou can eat this one marshmallow now. But if you wait 15 minutes, I will");
document.writeln("give you two.\'€� They were then left alone in the room to be observed by the");
document.writeln("scientists behind a window. Some kids stared at the marshmallow. Some poked at");
document.writeln("it. A few even licked it. Others did their best to distract themselves by");
document.writeln("singing, dancing, or covering their eyes\'€&#8221;anything to receive a greater reward.");
document.writeln("Some gave in to the instant gratification of the sweet treat. But others waited");
document.writeln("and earned their second portion. Curious with the results, researchers decided");
document.writeln("to track these children for years and what they found proved quite interesting.");
document.writeln("The kids who were able to wait tended to do better in school, manage stress");
document.writeln("more effectively, and even had healthier relationships. They had learned at a");
document.writeln("young age that hope for a future reward changes the way you live in the present.</span></p>");
document.writeln("<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height:normal\"><span lang=\"EN\" style=\"font-size:");
document.writeln("12.0pt\">&nbsp;</span></p>");
document.writeln("<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height:normal\"><span lang=\"EN\" style=\"font-size:");
document.writeln("12.0pt\">This is a good picture of what it means to hope or wait on the Lord.");
document.writeln("Sometimes God chooses to set our blessing just out of reach and when we choose");
document.writeln("to patiently wait, He is forming our character. Hope is God\'€™s gift to us and is");
document.writeln("the very Hope we celebrate in this Christmas season. God sent Hope to us in the");
document.writeln("form of His Son, Jesus. The Classic Carol, \'€œO Holy Night\'€� speaks of the thrill");
document.writeln("of Hope at the arrival of the Savior. Patiently waiting for God\'€™s timing can");
document.writeln("be difficult and we may find ourselves giving in to the temptation of instant");
document.writeln("gratification, but God has promised us that a greater portion of blessing is");
document.writeln("coming if we wait. Eating the marshmallow now may be easier, but God has something better\'€&#8221;a Hope for Salvation and an eternity with Him! </span></p>");
document.writeln("<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height:normal\"><span lang=\"EN\" style=\"font-size:");
document.writeln("12.0pt\">&nbsp;</span></p>");
document.writeln("<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height:normal\"><span lang=\"EN\" style=\"font-size:");
document.writeln("12.0pt\">Suggested prayer: Dear Lord, may my Hope be in You not in the instant");
document.writeln("gratification this world offers me. Give me the strength to be patient and wait");
document.writeln("on You for the greater blessings I know you have in store for me. In the name");
document.writeln("of Jesus I pray, Amen.</span></p>");
document.writeln("<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height:normal\"><span lang=\"EN\" style=\"font-size:");
document.writeln("12.0pt\">&nbsp;</span></p>");
document.writeln("<p class=\"MsoListParagraph\" style=\"text-indent:-.25in;line-height:normal;");
document.writeln("mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1\"><span lang=\"EN\" style=\"font-size:");
document.writeln("12.0pt\"><span style=\"mso-list:Ignore\">1.<span style=\"font:7.0pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;\">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;");
document.writeln("</span></span></span><span lang=\"EN\" style=\"font-size:12.0pt\">Micah 7:7");
document.writeln("(<i>NIV</i>). </span></p>");
document.writeln("<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height:normal\"><span lang=\"EN\" style=\"font-size:");
document.writeln("12.0pt\">&nbsp;</span></p>");
document.writeln("<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height:normal\"><span lang=\"EN\" style=\"font-size:");
document.writeln("12.0pt\">Today\'€™s Encounter was written by: Veronica B. </span></p>");
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  document.writeln("<p style=\"font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size: 10pt;\">This and other devotionals by Richard (Dick) Innes <a href=\"http://www.actsweb.org/archives.php\" target=\"_blank\">can be read online</a>.<br><br>Copyright &copy; 1990 - 2025<br /><a href=\"http://www.actsweb.org/\" target=\"_blank\">ACTS International</a></p>");
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