Whoever said, ‘Hope for the best, but expect the worst’, didn’t know the God of Hope that we know! I mean, first of all, what a beautiful title for our loving Lord; and secondly, our God who has the perfect plan for each of our lives, desires that we overflow with hope!

A couple of years ago, my teenage son was looking forward to an outing that we hadn’t confirmed. However, he was anxious to know if we would indeed be going. After several days of asking and getting an “I’m not sure�, for an answer, he was impatient for a real answer. He, of course, was not only hoping for the best, but he was also expecting it. So, when I changed my answer to a “we’ll see�, he sadly hung his head and said, “I know that means no�. It didn’t mean NO, though, we just had a larger surprise for him and wanted to keep him in suspense. Yet, he wasn’t sure he could trust us.

God has eternal surprises in store for us if we trust Him! He promises to fill us with ALL JOY AND PEACE, so that we will overflow with Hope â€" HE IS HOPE! There will be times when we think that God’s silence means no, but he has greater things in store for us. We must be patient and not lose hope! Hope for the best and expect it, because our God is the God of Hope, and Joy, and Peace. Put your trust in the Lord today and allow the Holy Spirit to fill you to the brim with Hope â€" let it overflow!

Suggested Prayer:

Dear Lord, what a beautiful promise! Your desire and plan for my life holds so much more than I could ever imagine. I put my trust in you today and ask that you fill me with Hope; let me overflow with the blessings you have in store for me, so that others might see you in me today. In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

1. Romans 15:13 (NIV).

Today’s Encounter was written by: Veronica B.