Strength for Today and Hope for Tomorrow

As we live in this world, we often go through patches of problems. It seems like they come in bunches sometimes! So the other morning as I was praying, I prayed for “strength for today and hope for tomorrow”. And the phrase made me sit up and pay attention! I had no idea where it came from except as a need in my heart and life at the moment. I have since discovered it is found in a hymn, Great is Thy Faithfulness, verse three.

Since then I have been thinking about these two things God gives his children, strength and hope. It is a blessed comfort to know that God cares about what is burdening our hearts, whether they be big or small; whether there be one or many. God is there to help us.

Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore I will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.”

Psalm 118:14, “The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.”

Isaiah 33:2, “O Lord, be gracious to us; we wait for you. Be our strength every morning, our 

salvation in the time of trouble.”

Isaiah 40:31, “But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

Hope: a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen; aspiration, desire, wish, expectation, ambition, aim, goal, plan, design; a feeling of trust

Psalm 42:5, 6a “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.” The psalmist says, “My soul is cast down within me; therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar. Verse 7, “Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your waves have gone over me.”

The psalm ends with a repeat of verses 5 - 6a “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.”

Ephesians 1:18, “having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places.”

Psalm 40:1 is a psalm of thanksgiving that recounts the suffering of an individual whose hope was realized. “I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry.”

Psalm 130:5, –“ I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; 7- O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption.”

Romans 12:12 says, “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” If you are going through a tough time, a trial or feel burdened down with the cares of this world, use this three part exercise – rejoice in hope, be patient in the midst of your problems and be constant in prayer.

Romans 15:4 says, “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”

A very familiar and beloved scripture is found in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” And the next verse is so important: Vs 12, “ Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.” What an awesome promise from our God! He will hear us when we call upon Him!

My prayer for you today is found in Romans 15:13, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”