HOPE On My Bookshelf...

Right now I am reading Jennifer Rothschild's book Self Talk, Soul Talk: what to say when you talk to yourself. This is part of a women's Bible Study we are doing on Wednesday nights. Last night we focused on chapter 6, which deals with HOPE. She talks about hope being our anchor...

"Hope anchors us because it provides spiritual grounding. Hope brings stability to every part of our being: physical, mental, emotional, and spritual. It's something steady to hold onto when fear and despair rock our world."

Fear is never on your side. Fear is a tool of the enemy to shake and intimidate us. Fear will betray you, but hope never will. Fear and despair will make you quiver, but hope will make you unshakable. Despair will work against you - serving what you are trying to avoid. When you are in despair, do you sabotage your own situation by yelling, crying, eating, or shutting yourself off from the world? Change your reaction - turn to God for help! You can make a deliberate choice to choose hope.

Jennifer does an excellent job of showing how the Psalmist dealt with hopelessness. In chapter 42 verse 5, he says "Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me?" The Message says it this way "Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul? Why are you crying the blues?" Jennifer suggests that the Psalmist is interviewing his own soul, with honest, perceptive questions; a habit we can all benefit from! Despair will not go away if we ignore it - we must face it head-on with the Truth.

Choose hope, and Give GOD the control!

See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land. -Song of Solomon 2:11-12