HOPE in God

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Hebrews 11:1

What are you hoping God for in 2009?
What are you trusting Him to do in and through your life?

The Bible is full of stories of people putting their hope in God. The stories can be summed up in two seasons of waiting: 40 days or 3 days. The 40 day waiting periods are the ones where we have to be faithful and persevere. The 3 day periods are the ones where our faith is desperate and immediate. Whether we are waiting on God for 40 days or 3 days our hope has to be in Him. Ultimately, we are not hoping for something (or a particular outcome), but our hope is in someone, the person of Jesus Christ.

Here are a few of the 40 days of waiting Bible stories:
The Israelites waited 40 days at Mount Sinai for Moses to come down with the 10 Commandments.
Noah and his family waited 40 days through the rain and flood.
Jesus fasted in the wilderness for 40 days.
The disciples waited 40 days after Jesus resurrection until his ascension and the coming of the Holy Spirit.

Here are a few of the 3 day stories of faith:
Esther fasted and prayed 3 days before she approached the King on behalf of her people.
Jonah was in the belly of a fish for 3 days.
God gave the Israelites 3 days to consecrate (prepare) themselves before crossing the Jordan River and entering the Promised Land.
Jesus was in the tomb for 3 days.

Whether you are in a crunch and need God to move quickly or you are in a longer period of waiting, do know that God is the God of the Third Day. When you are losing hope, know that God will come through in the end. And we have victory in Christ. Let's continue to put our hope and trust in God as wait on Him.