TODAY IS…

the perfect day to celebrate God’s gift of Hope.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

The dictionary offers one definition of “hope” as, “a desire supported by confidence of fulfillment.”

God offers each one of us hope as well as a future. With God as the One offering it, we can definitely have confidence in its fulfillment.

The question is, do we really desire what God is offering?

We must also ask ourselves if we are ready, willing and able to pay the price.

First of all, we need to clearly understand what is represented in the hope that God plans to give us. It is the hope for our salvation and eternal life in His Kingdom. The future is one of indescribable peace, joy and happiness if we are only ready and willing to accept it and are able to pay the price. Part of the price for the salvation of our sinful souls and an eternal life of indescribable peace, joy and happiness is blood.

But the blood was the blood of Jesus and it has already been paid on our behalf.

Since Jesus Christ made the ultimate sacrifice on our behalf, what sort of payment, then, is required of us?

Belief.

Our payment is the belief that Jesus Christ is our savior and only Jesus can lead us to a good relationship with God. Our payment is our faith.

“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9 NLT).

That’s it? We simply need to believe?

Yes

That is all we need do to receive God’s gift of hope and His plan for a future. It is not hard, expensive or complicated. It can be a little overwhelming at times, though, because once we accept that Jesus Christ is Lord, we will find that the desire to change the way we think, act and live will be powerful. What we must do, then, is become faithful followers of God.

Read the Holy Bible daily to look for God’s guidance on how to fulfill His plans for us. Pray for His wisdom and ask Him to guide you on your new path. Think about what you read and listen for the sound of His voice.

Faith is not always easy and the path we have chosen is not always smooth and obstacle-free. We will stumble, we will stagger, we may even fall.

Not to worry, though. God’s patience is legendary. He will help us with our struggles and support us through our trials. He promises to give us hope and a future and we can be assured that He will fulfill that promise.

Enjoy God’s gift of Today and thank Him for the hope and the future that He is holding out to all of us who are ready to accept it.

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Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson