“Everywhere you send me, Lord, everywhere you send me, everywhere you send me, I want to be a GIVER OF HOPE,” I sang to the Lord.
Ever heard that song? Probably not. Because I made it up. I don’t have songs memorized. I sing my own to God. Itty bitty songs that pour from my heart. This little one came pouring out of my heart and mouth as soon as I walked away from a beautiful little family of a Mom and her young children. I had been walking paralyzed ministry dog Miss Mercy and special needs ministry dog Grace in New Jersey just outside New York City in my latest location on the road for Jesus. The children were drawn to Miss Mercy and petted her while the Mom and I chatted briefly.
It didn’t take long for me to have an opportunity to give her my Finding the Light Gospel tract which includes my personal story and the Gospel message and for her to share just enough for me to know the family was facing tough challenges. We didn’t part ways before I told them all I loved them and encouraged the Mom to reach out to me. I knew in the few words I had spoken about Jesus and life that I had left them with a seed of hope. By the love, power, grace, strength, wisdom, kindness, compassion, comfort, encouragement, peace, hope, and joy of the Holy Spirit of God, I had been a giver of hope to them. I had given them the hope of Christ.
I have been on the road for Jesus for some years now and am ever astounded and in awe of how many people the Lord has brought into my life seemingly randomly but clearly ordained by Him. I have had countless opportunities to tell people about the Lord Jesus Christ, to share the Gospel message, to pray for people, to minister to them in one way or another, to share parts of my testimony, to give them my Finding the Light tracts, to sign them up for my Good News Daily devotional messages online, to encourage them, and/or to leave them with seeds of hope.
As I walked away, and as that song came from my heart and mouth, and as I write this now, I realize God has made me a Giver of Hope. Not of human earthly worldly hope that comes and goes, but a Giver OF THE HOPE of the Lord Jesus Christ, of everlasting life with God through Jesus, of the Gospel, of God’s Word, of having a forever relationship with God, of heaven, of God’s Holy Spirit, of intimacy with the Lord, of finding God’s purpose for us on this earth, of God’s countless blessings including His glorious love, comfort, healing – and hope, etc.
Are you a GIVER OF HOPE? Oh, may it be so!
“And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” Romans 5:5 KJV
“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:” 1 Peter 3:15
“But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more.” Psalms 71:14
“Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.” Jeremiah 17:7
Thank you, oh Lord, for this message. Thank you, oh Lord, for giving me HOPE. Thank you, oh Lord, for making me a Giver of Hope. Thank you for teaching me to plant HOPE SEEDS. Thank you, oh Lord, for inspiring my precious readers to become GIVERS OF HOPE, or, if they already are, to press on in GIVING – the Gospel message, Jesus’ love, the hope of Jesus, etc. Thank you, dear God, for your hope, oh Lord, AMEN!