1 00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:13,480 Speaker 1: Life Audio. Hello, thank you for listening to your Daily 2 00:00:13,560 --> 00:00:17,400 Speaker 1: Bible Verse, the podcast that examines one verse each day 3 00:00:17,680 --> 00:00:20,200 Speaker 1: to learn more about God and his will for us. 4 00:00:20,400 --> 00:00:23,200 Speaker 1: I'm your host, Jennifer Slattery, and after this short word 5 00:00:23,239 --> 00:00:26,760 Speaker 1: from our sponsors, we'll dive into today's Bible Verse, actually 6 00:00:26,920 --> 00:00:42,000 Speaker 1: two verses, Colasians one, four and five. Today's Bible verses 7 00:00:42,120 --> 00:00:45,800 Speaker 1: are Collasians one, four and five, because we have heard 8 00:00:45,800 --> 00:00:48,160 Speaker 1: of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love 9 00:00:48,240 --> 00:00:50,760 Speaker 1: you have for all God's people, the faith and love 10 00:00:50,840 --> 00:00:53,720 Speaker 1: that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven, 11 00:00:54,120 --> 00:00:56,880 Speaker 1: and about which you have already heard in the true 12 00:00:56,960 --> 00:01:00,720 Speaker 1: Message of the Gospel. In two thousand and eleven, and 13 00:01:00,920 --> 00:01:05,959 Speaker 1: undiagnosed and confusing illness plunged me into despair and put 14 00:01:05,959 --> 00:01:10,920 Speaker 1: an immediate stop to all my ministry efforts. Initially, my 15 00:01:11,200 --> 00:01:15,399 Speaker 1: symptoms kept me home, but my emotional and mental withdrawal 16 00:01:15,440 --> 00:01:20,160 Speaker 1: remained even after I found an effective treatment plan. Granted, 17 00:01:20,200 --> 00:01:23,160 Speaker 1: I know recognize that some of that was a normal 18 00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:28,000 Speaker 1: grieving response to a major lifestyle adjustment, but my gloom 19 00:01:28,120 --> 00:01:33,800 Speaker 1: continued much longer than necessary, largely due to misplaced hope. 20 00:01:33,880 --> 00:01:37,600 Speaker 1: I'd placed my hope in changed circumstances and the type 21 00:01:37,600 --> 00:01:40,320 Speaker 1: of life on earth I thought would bring me joy, 22 00:01:40,520 --> 00:01:42,920 Speaker 1: and I'd placed much of my faith in myself, my 23 00:01:43,040 --> 00:01:47,520 Speaker 1: doctor supplemental solutions in finding the right medication. When the 24 00:01:47,560 --> 00:01:51,520 Speaker 1: Lord didn't answer my prayers for physical healing, my grief 25 00:01:51,680 --> 00:01:56,720 Speaker 1: turned to anger and despondency. I began to question his love, 26 00:01:56,920 --> 00:02:00,360 Speaker 1: and I also wondered if I had done something thing 27 00:02:00,600 --> 00:02:04,440 Speaker 1: to displease him. He used Paul, the first century church 28 00:02:04,520 --> 00:02:07,639 Speaker 1: planter who wrote the letter from which today's passage comes, 29 00:02:07,680 --> 00:02:12,880 Speaker 1: to reawaken a kingdom mindset that encouraged and strengthen my 30 00:02:12,960 --> 00:02:17,240 Speaker 1: weary and disheartened soul. God was teaching me to view 31 00:02:17,280 --> 00:02:20,960 Speaker 1: my world and challenges through the same lens held by 32 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:23,920 Speaker 1: the first century christ followers in Colossae. These men and 33 00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:28,120 Speaker 1: women experienced many of the same challenges as you and I, health, financial, 34 00:02:28,280 --> 00:02:34,679 Speaker 1: relational concerns, spiritual questions and doubts, false teachers leading to confusion, 35 00:02:34,800 --> 00:02:38,079 Speaker 1: and everything else that comes with living in a broken 36 00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:43,160 Speaker 1: and sin cursed world. And while all of those things 37 00:02:43,320 --> 00:02:47,320 Speaker 1: were hard, they weren't the sum total of their story, 38 00:02:47,600 --> 00:02:53,960 Speaker 1: or even the driving narrative. Their confidence rested in Christ 39 00:02:54,160 --> 00:02:57,920 Speaker 1: and the future he secured through his death and resurrection. 40 00:02:58,440 --> 00:03:01,680 Speaker 1: He was the one in room they placed their hope, 41 00:03:01,760 --> 00:03:05,360 Speaker 1: and that hope had the power to sustain them through 42 00:03:05,600 --> 00:03:10,320 Speaker 1: every difficulty or uncertainty. Let's talk about the power of 43 00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:12,399 Speaker 1: hope and what it looks like for faith and love 44 00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:16,200 Speaker 1: to spring from the hope that is stored up secure 45 00:03:16,360 --> 00:03:19,760 Speaker 1: in heaven. In essence, Paul is stating that heavenly hope, 46 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:24,799 Speaker 1: based on all we have in Christ, produces observable fruit, 47 00:03:25,240 --> 00:03:30,000 Speaker 1: faith and love. I appreciate how the Amplified Bible phrases 48 00:03:30,040 --> 00:03:34,680 Speaker 1: today's verse because of the confident hope of experiencing that 49 00:03:34,760 --> 00:03:39,760 Speaker 1: which is reserved and waiting for you in heaven. Waiting 50 00:03:40,560 --> 00:03:46,520 Speaker 1: and reserved. This tells us hope isn't an emotional desire. Rather, 51 00:03:46,600 --> 00:03:51,640 Speaker 1: it's an unshakable and immutable certainty that impacts how we 52 00:03:51,680 --> 00:03:55,160 Speaker 1: live today. It enables us to maintain faith even when 53 00:03:55,200 --> 00:03:59,160 Speaker 1: anxious or afraid, and to love others well even when 54 00:03:59,320 --> 00:04:03,440 Speaker 1: our present fears tempt us to self protect. This reminds 55 00:04:03,480 --> 00:04:07,520 Speaker 1: me of First Thessalonians one, verse three, also written by Paul, 56 00:04:07,560 --> 00:04:11,720 Speaker 1: which states, your work produced by faith, your labor prompted 57 00:04:11,760 --> 00:04:16,359 Speaker 1: by love, and your endurance inspired by hope. This is 58 00:04:16,400 --> 00:04:19,320 Speaker 1: like the child that willingly endures a twenty four hour 59 00:04:19,400 --> 00:04:24,680 Speaker 1: car ride, knowing Disneyland awaits at the end of the drive, or, 60 00:04:24,760 --> 00:04:28,080 Speaker 1: to use a biblical analogy, the pregnant woman who pushes 61 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:32,600 Speaker 1: through the intense pain of childbirth knowing she will soon 62 00:04:32,640 --> 00:04:35,880 Speaker 1: get to hold her baby. In painful situations, this looks 63 00:04:35,960 --> 00:04:38,720 Speaker 1: like reflecting on biblical truths, such as the fact that 64 00:04:38,760 --> 00:04:43,480 Speaker 1: a glorious future free of all sickness, death, and hardship awaits, 65 00:04:43,839 --> 00:04:47,280 Speaker 1: or that God sees every injustice we suffer and promises 66 00:04:47,400 --> 00:04:50,279 Speaker 1: to one day make all things right, and that He 67 00:04:50,360 --> 00:04:53,720 Speaker 1: will reward us for every faith filled and obedient step 68 00:04:53,880 --> 00:04:57,120 Speaker 1: we take while on earth. For those struggling with self 69 00:04:57,160 --> 00:05:02,080 Speaker 1: destructive or relationship harming behavior, hope looks like trusting that 70 00:05:02,120 --> 00:05:06,960 Speaker 1: God will complete the transformation he began when you first 71 00:05:07,000 --> 00:05:11,400 Speaker 1: trusted in Christ for salvation and recognizing that we belong 72 00:05:11,520 --> 00:05:14,080 Speaker 1: to a global family united by the Holy Spirit and 73 00:05:14,200 --> 00:05:18,640 Speaker 1: bound by Christ's love. Hope is a powerful anchor, able 74 00:05:18,680 --> 00:05:21,520 Speaker 1: to steady the most weary and anxious souls and to 75 00:05:21,640 --> 00:05:25,520 Speaker 1: shift our focus off of what feels hard today in 76 00:05:25,560 --> 00:05:29,119 Speaker 1: this moment and onto all the Lord is and will 77 00:05:29,240 --> 00:05:34,200 Speaker 1: do in, through and for us. This leads to an 78 00:05:34,200 --> 00:05:40,560 Speaker 1: important question, how can we build this posture of trusting expectation. 79 00:05:41,760 --> 00:05:46,039 Speaker 1: Romans fifteen, verse thirteen answers that question. Listen and see 80 00:05:46,120 --> 00:05:50,200 Speaker 1: if you catch the connection scripture makes. May the God 81 00:05:50,440 --> 00:05:53,520 Speaker 1: of Hope fill you with all joy and peace as 82 00:05:53,560 --> 00:05:57,120 Speaker 1: you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with 83 00:05:57,279 --> 00:06:01,200 Speaker 1: hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. This verse 84 00:06:01,279 --> 00:06:05,800 Speaker 1: tells me that we don't manufacture hope in ourselves, and 85 00:06:05,960 --> 00:06:10,080 Speaker 1: I know this from personal experience. Left on my own, 86 00:06:10,760 --> 00:06:15,080 Speaker 1: my thoughts and emotions often drift toward discouragement and defeat 87 00:06:15,200 --> 00:06:20,640 Speaker 1: or fretful striving, which eventually leads to discouragement and defeat. 88 00:06:21,640 --> 00:06:26,360 Speaker 1: God is our constant, an ever available source of hope, 89 00:06:26,400 --> 00:06:29,960 Speaker 1: and that hope begins to fill us to overflowing as 90 00:06:30,040 --> 00:06:33,719 Speaker 1: we trust in Him and rely on and yield to 91 00:06:33,800 --> 00:06:37,000 Speaker 1: the Holy Spirit within, who, by the way, is our 92 00:06:37,040 --> 00:06:41,760 Speaker 1: source of faith and trust as well, meaning everything our 93 00:06:41,800 --> 00:06:46,159 Speaker 1: souls need to thrive comes through our deliberate and consistent 94 00:06:46,360 --> 00:06:50,200 Speaker 1: connection with the Lord, pausing in our overwhelm to notice 95 00:06:50,240 --> 00:06:53,920 Speaker 1: his presence, seek his wisdom, remember his promises, and rely 96 00:06:54,240 --> 00:06:58,240 Speaker 1: on his care. The more we practice those steps, the 97 00:06:58,320 --> 00:07:01,320 Speaker 1: greater our hope, and according to today's verse, the greater 98 00:07:01,440 --> 00:07:06,240 Speaker 1: our hope, the greater our faith and love. This week, 99 00:07:06,279 --> 00:07:11,040 Speaker 1: I encourage you to practice those hope building steps at 100 00:07:11,120 --> 00:07:14,160 Speaker 1: least once a day as best as you're able. Maybe 101 00:07:14,160 --> 00:07:16,000 Speaker 1: send an alarm on your phone, and when it goes off, 102 00:07:16,040 --> 00:07:20,040 Speaker 1: pause to notice God's presence. If that feels difficult, ask 103 00:07:20,120 --> 00:07:23,480 Speaker 1: for his help, and then simply notice how that feels 104 00:07:23,480 --> 00:07:26,440 Speaker 1: in your body and your emotions, because, as my spiritual 105 00:07:26,480 --> 00:07:31,240 Speaker 1: mentor often says, what we focus on grows. And intentionally 106 00:07:31,360 --> 00:07:35,040 Speaker 1: reflect on a few promises that encourage you in this season, 107 00:07:35,840 --> 00:07:40,080 Speaker 1: then ask God to fill you to overflowing with hope, 108 00:07:40,240 --> 00:07:44,800 Speaker 1: the confident expectation of all that awaits you as a 109 00:07:44,840 --> 00:07:52,160 Speaker 1: beloved and held child of God. Let's pray, Holy Father, 110 00:07:52,320 --> 00:07:56,080 Speaker 1: you are so gracious to us. You are our source 111 00:07:56,600 --> 00:07:59,840 Speaker 1: of hope. You are our provider, You are our sustainer. 112 00:08:00,160 --> 00:08:03,440 Speaker 1: You are our strong tower in whom we can seek 113 00:08:03,560 --> 00:08:07,640 Speaker 1: refuge whenever we feel overwhelmed or we're hurting. You are 114 00:08:07,720 --> 00:08:11,160 Speaker 1: ever present help in times of trouble, and you are 115 00:08:11,880 --> 00:08:16,680 Speaker 1: the sure foundation beneath our feet. You will never fail, 116 00:08:16,800 --> 00:08:20,720 Speaker 1: you will never reject us. You will never abandon us, 117 00:08:20,800 --> 00:08:25,320 Speaker 1: and you are teaching us each day to find hope 118 00:08:25,640 --> 00:08:29,080 Speaker 1: and strength in you, and we thank you for that. 119 00:08:29,800 --> 00:08:35,600 Speaker 1: Remove within us our tendency towards self reliance, towards striving 120 00:08:35,800 --> 00:08:40,640 Speaker 1: and fretting, increase our hope, fill our mind and our 121 00:08:40,679 --> 00:08:45,120 Speaker 1: souls with the promises upon which we base our hope, 122 00:08:45,200 --> 00:08:50,080 Speaker 1: and increase our connection with your son, our Savior, who 123 00:08:50,160 --> 00:08:53,360 Speaker 1: increases our hope. We thank you that we have so 124 00:08:53,600 --> 00:09:00,920 Speaker 1: many resources available to live in that confident expectation. With 125 00:09:01,040 --> 00:09:06,120 Speaker 1: our eyes focused on you and everything that you have promised. 126 00:09:06,240 --> 00:09:12,640 Speaker 1: We know good awaits. You told us good awaits, and 127 00:09:12,760 --> 00:09:18,120 Speaker 1: we trust you because you have proven yourself trustworthy. You 128 00:09:18,520 --> 00:09:22,640 Speaker 1: are our good, good God, our good good father, and 129 00:09:22,760 --> 00:09:28,120 Speaker 1: our ever faithful guide. We love you and we praise you. 130 00:09:28,320 --> 00:09:30,920 Speaker 1: And it's in the name of your son, our Savior, 131 00:09:31,040 --> 00:09:33,400 Speaker 1: Jesus Christ, that we pray Amen.