1 00:00:02,759 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your 2 00:00:06,800 --> 00:00:12,360 Speaker 1: walk with Christ, please visit us at Bible Studyheadquarters dot com. 3 00:00:12,760 --> 00:00:17,360 Speaker 1: You're listening to daily devotions with Pastor John. I'm John Stangey, 4 00:00:17,880 --> 00:00:22,400 Speaker 1: and today's devotion is inspired by Isaiah chapter forty, verse 5 00:00:22,480 --> 00:00:26,000 Speaker 1: thirty one, which says, but they who wait for the 6 00:00:26,079 --> 00:00:29,960 Speaker 1: Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with 7 00:00:30,120 --> 00:00:34,320 Speaker 1: wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary. 8 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:40,880 Speaker 1: They shall walk and not faint. Hope is a concept 9 00:00:41,080 --> 00:00:45,120 Speaker 1: that is often misunderstood in modern times. We tend to 10 00:00:45,120 --> 00:00:48,000 Speaker 1: think of a hope as being the same as a wish, 11 00:00:48,600 --> 00:00:52,480 Speaker 1: but biblically speaking, that's not the case at all. Those 12 00:00:52,520 --> 00:00:55,640 Speaker 1: who wait for the Lord are those who hope in 13 00:00:55,720 --> 00:01:00,840 Speaker 1: the Lord. Biblical hope is a confident expectation that the 14 00:01:00,920 --> 00:01:05,240 Speaker 1: Lord will fulfill his promises and decrees. Hope in the 15 00:01:05,280 --> 00:01:09,880 Speaker 1: Lord isn't a wish, it's a certainty. If our true 16 00:01:09,880 --> 00:01:13,240 Speaker 1: hope is in Christ, we are saved from sin and 17 00:01:13,360 --> 00:01:17,120 Speaker 1: strengthened to live by faith. We are granted his help 18 00:01:17,240 --> 00:01:21,479 Speaker 1: and guidance. We are energized by his power. We can 19 00:01:21,520 --> 00:01:25,720 Speaker 1: rely on His arm to guide and protect us. When 20 00:01:25,760 --> 00:01:29,440 Speaker 1: our hope is in Christ, we won't become overly discouraged 21 00:01:29,480 --> 00:01:34,160 Speaker 1: with earthly circumstances and momentary setbacks, because we'll see those 22 00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:39,160 Speaker 1: things from the perspective of eternity. Through Jesus, we are 23 00:01:39,280 --> 00:01:44,640 Speaker 1: granted victory over sin, satan, and death. Through Jesus, we're 24 00:01:44,680 --> 00:01:48,120 Speaker 1: blessed with the ability to maintain genuine hope in the 25 00:01:48,160 --> 00:01:51,720 Speaker 1: midst of the highs and lows of our earthly lives. 26 00:01:53,520 --> 00:01:58,000 Speaker 1: Let's pray, Lord, we thank you for your word, and 27 00:01:58,040 --> 00:01:59,640 Speaker 1: we thank you for the privilege that it is to 28 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:01,840 Speaker 1: be able to read this portion of scripture from the 29 00:02:01,840 --> 00:02:05,760 Speaker 1: Book of Isaiah together today. And Lord, we're grateful for 30 00:02:05,800 --> 00:02:10,119 Speaker 1: the fact that your word encourages us to hope in You, 31 00:02:11,080 --> 00:02:13,560 Speaker 1: that we can wait for you, that we can trust 32 00:02:13,600 --> 00:02:18,000 Speaker 1: you to do what you've promised to do. And Lord, 33 00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:20,560 Speaker 1: we're grateful that as we hope in You, we're not 34 00:02:20,680 --> 00:02:24,919 Speaker 1: just wishing or desiring something that may or may not happen. 35 00:02:25,560 --> 00:02:29,959 Speaker 1: When we have true biblical hope, we can confidently expect 36 00:02:29,960 --> 00:02:32,360 Speaker 1: that you'll do exactly what you said you were going 37 00:02:32,400 --> 00:02:35,480 Speaker 1: to do. And Lord, that has so many implications in 38 00:02:35,520 --> 00:02:37,720 Speaker 1: our day to day lives. And we're grateful for the 39 00:02:37,800 --> 00:02:41,160 Speaker 1: fact that when you pledge something, when you promise something, 40 00:02:41,200 --> 00:02:45,000 Speaker 1: when anything is uttered by you, we know that we 41 00:02:45,040 --> 00:02:48,440 Speaker 1: can be confident that it will be carried out, that 42 00:02:48,480 --> 00:02:52,360 Speaker 1: you will do exactly what you said you would do. Lord, 43 00:02:52,400 --> 00:02:55,120 Speaker 1: We know that that is so different from how many 44 00:02:55,160 --> 00:02:57,920 Speaker 1: other people in our day to day lives operate. There 45 00:02:57,919 --> 00:03:00,160 Speaker 1: are people who tell us things that they have no 46 00:03:00,240 --> 00:03:03,760 Speaker 1: intention of doing. There are people who make promises to 47 00:03:03,880 --> 00:03:07,320 Speaker 1: us and then don't keep them. But again, Lord, you 48 00:03:07,440 --> 00:03:11,920 Speaker 1: can be trusted. Your word is accurate. It's impossible for 49 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:15,120 Speaker 1: you to lie. And because that's the case, when we 50 00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:17,880 Speaker 1: place our hope in you, we know that we won't 51 00:03:17,880 --> 00:03:21,760 Speaker 1: be disappointed. You won't let us down, you won't forget us, 52 00:03:21,840 --> 00:03:26,359 Speaker 1: you won't abandon us. You will accomplish your great purposes 53 00:03:26,400 --> 00:03:29,919 Speaker 1: in our lives, and you will do so for your glory, 54 00:03:30,360 --> 00:03:34,239 Speaker 1: so that others can testify to your goodness and your compassion. 55 00:03:35,280 --> 00:03:37,600 Speaker 1: We're grateful for all of these things, Father, and we 56 00:03:37,720 --> 00:03:40,119 Speaker 1: thank you for reminding us of them as we've looked 57 00:03:40,120 --> 00:03:43,160 Speaker 1: at your word. Together, we commit this day to your care, 58 00:03:43,560 --> 00:03:47,480 Speaker 1: and we pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen.