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DAY 27
'Don't Lose Hope'
'Then you would trust, because there is hope’ Job 11:18 NAS'

THERE’S A MENTAL CONDITION that’s essential to the life God wants you to live. It’s the fuel your heart runs on. It’s the single biggest difference between those who persevere and those who give up. It’s called – hope. It’s a powerful force that arouses your mind to explore every possibility and overcome every obstacle. Hope is what makes couples say ‘I do’, without any guarantees, and later after all the broken promises, makes them pick up the pieces and try again. It’s why composers agonise over a score and artists over a canvas, believing some glimmer of beauty will emerge from the struggle. As an old man, the painter Henri Matisse was crippled with agonising arthritis. When asked why he continued to wrap his swollen fingers around a paintbrush every day, he replied, ‘The pain goes away; the beauty endures’. That’s hope! Labouring to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo grew so discouraged that he wanted to quit, but every morning hope pushed him up the ladder to fulfil his magnificent vision. Hope made Abraham leave home without knowing where God was taking him. It’s what made Paul defy the system. It’s what fuelled the Old Testament prophets to keep taking on the authorities! David said, ‘For You have been my hope... my confidence since my youth’ (Psalm 71:5 NIV). Don’t lose hope! You can survive many losses, but lost hope paralyses your spirit. Listen: ‘You will have courage because you will have hope’ (Job 11:18 NLT); so regardless of your circumstances, keep your hope alive today by staying focused on God.

Prayer Point-FAITH
God of all goodness, Your Word declares that You are able to work all things together for good in my life. I celebrate today because I know that my past doesn’t define my future. Though I have tasted some of the worst this world has to offer, You are completely able to heal me and set me free. I declare today that in You my future is brighter than ever.

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DAY 28
'The Grace To Handle It'
'He gives us more grace’ James 4:6 NIV'

NANCY AND ED HUIZINGA were at church rehearsing for the Christmas programme when their home burned down. It wasn’t their first tragedy that year. Three months earlier when a friend, a widow with two teenagers, died of cancer, the Huizingas took her kids to live with them as part of the family. So when their house was destroyed it wasn’t just their home they lost, it was home to two kids who’d already lost their parents. The following week as they sifted through the ashes they found a slip of paper that survived the fire. On it they read these words: ‘Contentment: Realising God has already provided everything we need for our present happiness.’ God gives you ‘more grace’ when you walk through f iery trials. One Bible teacher says: ‘Our perspective changes when we catch a glimpse of the purpose of Christ. Take that away, and it’s nothing more than a bitter, terrible experience. Suffering comes in many forms, but His grace is always there to carry us beyond it. I’ve endured a sufficient number of trials to say without hesitation that only Christ’s perspective can replace resentment with rejoicing. Jesus is the central piece of suffering’s puzzle. If we fit Him into place, the rest begins to make sense.’ Donna VanLiere writes: ‘When life blindsides us... and the diagnosis, abuse, foreclosure, broken marriage, death or financial collapse brings us to our knees... grace says there’s more love after infidelity, more joy after the diagnosis, and more life after financial ruin... grace is real... an indomitable gift with power to change your life. But it comes with one condition – like any gift, you have to reach out and take it.


THE END

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