Scriptures: Isaiah 40:31, Romans 12:12, Hebrews 6:18-19, Hebrews 10:23, 1 Corinthians 13:7, Psalms 42:11, Ephesians 4:29

Our Source of Hope

Hello, and welcome to a brand new week at A Miracle Every Day. I am so excited to be sharing with you this week. Thank you for joining me on this week-long journey from “Hope-filled to Hopeful!” 

A few weeks ago, my wife Laurel shared with me her conversation with someone struggling to hold on to hope through a deep challenge. After encouraging, praying with, and sharing God’s love with this person, Laurel told me about a phrase that God had placed in her heart…before you can be hopeFULL, you must be hopeFILLED. I have been ruminating on that powerful statement for almost a month now. The reason people struggle to be hopeful is because they have never learned how to be hope-filled. 

This week, we are going to focus in on filling our hearts, minds, and souls with the hope of God, and I want to encourage you to begin by filling your mouth with these amazing words from God: 

“But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:31 NIV) 

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” (Romans 12:12 NIV) 

“…we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope…”(Hebrews 6:18b-19a, NIV) 

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”(Hebrews 10:23 NIV) 

“Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (1 Corinthians 13:7 NIV) 

“Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.” (Psalm 42:11 NIV) 

When you fill your mouth with the hopeful promises and words of God, there is no room left for unrestrained words, bitter gossip, toxic slander, or unwholesome talk. The Bible says, “Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouth…” (Ephesians 4:29 NIV), so when we choose hopeful words instead, we are doing exactly what God asked us to do to find hope in every situation. 

My friend, let’s fill our mouths today with hope-filled words. I promise that if you do, at the end of this day, you will find yourself being hopeful!

Jesus, we pray that You would fill us with hope today. God, the world needs us to share the beauty of hope in Jesus, so thank You for filling us with Your hope today. God, may every word we say bring Your hope and Your light into a dark world. Amen.

Never forget my friend, 

You are a miracle! 

Scripture: Ephesians 2:10

Don’t Put Schedules Before People

Hello, and thank you for sharing your time with me. Just like yesterday, I pray that God will fill your heart with His love and care, and that He will use my words to fill your heart with hope. 

I don’t know about you, but I don’t like interruptions. When my mind is focused and I am working diligently on a task, anything that interrupts me can seem like a distraction and an interruption. But, God has been showing me a different way. 

Recently, I was in Israel, and we visited one of my favorite places – Magdala. The home of Mary Magdalene holds so many precious moments in Scripture. In the modern location, there is a beautiful chapel with a grotto that contains a breathtaking mural depicting the woman with the issue of blood touching the hem of Jesus’ garment and being healed! As I sat in the grotto overwhelmed by God’s healing of His spiritual daughter, I was struck with a thought – I am so glad Jesus embraced that interruption! 

Jesus was on a mission, but one touch from this precious woman and the God of all Creation stopped everything to heal and shine a spotlight on this faith-filled woman! 

Are you so locked into your tasks for today that you would have no room if God wanted to interrupt you for a higher calling? I want to encourage you, if you are looking for hope, leave a margin in your day so God can interrupt you with a new adventure. 

I love this scripture in Ephesians 2:10, which says: 

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10, NIV) 

Some translations use the phrase, “prepared in advance.” Think about that! In advance, God prepared opportunities for you to impact lives today! Make sure you don’t miss them because of your busy schedule. If you have been reading A Miracle Every Day for a while, you have heard me say this before – If the Devil can’t make you bad, he’ll make you busy! 

Today, in our quest for hope, fill your schedule with moments to invite Jesus in with a “divine interruption.” When they happen, miracles are right around the corner. 

Jesus, we want to find hope in the world today, Your hope. God, as we fill our day-to-day moments with the anticipation that You have created opportunities for us in advance, would You help us to never see people as inconveniences or interruptions. Make us a blessing to someone today. Amen.

As we learned yesterday, fill your mouth with encouraging words. Today, fill your schedule with invitations for God to make you a blessing. I can’t wait until tomorrow! Never forget, my friend… 

You are a miracle! 

Scriptures: Joshua 1:8, Psalms 77:12, Psalms 119:148, Isaiah 26:3

Meditate on God’s Word

Hello, we are on a journey together to fill our hearts with hope, knowing that we must be hope-filled, before we can be hope-FULL! 

Can I share something with you? I have always struggled with focus. My mind is easily distracted, and staying on track is a challenge for me every single day. In my battle against distraction, and my longing to be present in every single moment, I have begun to use meditation as a way to improve my focus and connection with Jesus. It has been so refreshing. 

I was meditating on the promises of Jesus the other day when a co-worker knocked on my door. I was so lost in the presence of God that I almost jumped out of my skin. 

My friend, some people have different ideas when it comes to meditation, but I want to remind you that God called His people to meditate on Him and His Word! 

The Bible says in Joshua 1:8: 
“Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” (Joshua 1:8, NIV) 

What a wonderful promise from God. And look at what King David says about his own practice of meditating on God’s presence: 

“I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds.” (Psalm 77:12, NIV) 

“My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promises.” (Psalm 119:148, NIV) 

…and look at the promise of Isaiah the prophet: 

“You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.” (Isaiah 26:3, NIV) 

Today, as we desire to become hopeful, let’s take a moment and focus our hearts and minds. Picture Jesus in your heart. Allow His presence to cover every fiber of your being. Hold on to all of the Scriptures that we have read today. Breathe in and breathe out. Just pause. Reflect on how good and faithful God has been to you. Thank God for the gift of hope and now, take a moment and just rest in Him. Jesus is your hope. 

Jesus, thank You for Your promise. You will keep my friend in perfect peace because their mind is steadfast and they trust in You.

Don’t hurry off. Stay with Jesus. He can and will fill your heart with hope today.

Just a reminder from this week…fill your mouth with God’s words, your schedule with margin for divine interruptions, and your mind with focus. Our hope is filling and will soon be FULL! 

Never forget my friend… 

You are a miracle! 

Scriptures: Philippians 4:8-9, Romans 8:6

Thoughts of Things Above Give Hope

Hello. I woke up this morning in a bad mood. Lack of sleep, a brain that would not shut down overnight and a long to-do list just put me in a bad place. I was filled with anxiety, doubt, some slow-boiling anger, and a pity party at the same time. My mind was full of stress, worry, angst, and discontent. I was not off to a good start, and it was still early. Coffee didn’t fix it. Reading the newspaper didn’t help at all, in fact, it made it worse. A conversation with a friend didn’t help because I faked my way through the entire time. I was miserable, but I didn’t share it. I chose to keep it to myself. What a terrible decision. 

And then…my phone went off. It was a FaceTime call from my son, and the first face I saw on the screen was my baby grand-daughter, Hallie Blake! She didn’t say a word, she just cooed and stared at me. She reached through the phone, touched my heart and ALL of the bitterness, angst and frustration melted away like an ice cube on a hot day. Thank you Jesus!

When I finished the phone call, I felt different. I was lighter. I was calmer. I was smiling. I began to ask myself, what changed? The answers were simple. My heart, mind, countenance, perspective, body and hope changed because of where I was looking!

What do you look at first thing in the morning? When I look at news, my phone, the state of the world or my crowded schedule first thing in the morning, it’s no wonder my hope disappears. I wonder what would change in all of us if we followed the instruction of God’s wisdom: 

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” (Philippians 4:8-9, NIV) 

What a thought, filling your mind with hope-filled contemplation can lead us to a place where we are hopeful! 

Romans 8 says, “For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace”….and I believe, hope. (Romans 8:6, NIV) 

My friend, take a moment with me and think about anything that brings you joy. Whatever it is, a special friend, a favorite place, a favorite food, take a moment and thank God that He filled your life with that blessing. Now, instead of thinking about the state of the world, think about the pure majesty of God. Think about the truth that He is in control and that you are safe in Him! Hand over all of your worry and anxiety, and receive His peace and hope. 

Jesus, we receive your hope right now. You are above all so we set our minds and hearts on You. Fill us with Your love right now. Amen.

Fill your mouth with encouraging words. Fill your day with margin to welcome divine interruptions. Fill your mind with focus on God. Fill your heart and mind with thoughts of things above. I can’t wait for tomorrow as we become more hope-filled and then hopeful! 

Never forget my friend… 

You are a miracle! 

Scriptures: Acts 17:25, Job 33:4, Job 33:4, John 20:22

Our Breath of Life

Hello friend! I am so glad you are with me today. Has anyone ever told you to just “take a breath?” My wife and kids certainly have! My breathing is a dead give-away when it comes to my stress level. My wife Laurel will often say, “You think you are calm, but your breathing is telling me a different story. Take a breath!” In other words, just relax!

I have found in my own life that when worries overwhelm me, my heart rate goes up, my mind spins out of control and my breathing increases. It’s not a good place to be and in those moments, hope seems to have disappeared.

What if we learned to just breathe! In my last A Miracle Every Day series, I wrote about the sacred names of God. Did you know that one of the Old Testament names of God was so holy that God’s chosen people would not say it aloud because it was TOO sacred? I love that they had so much respect for the Name of God! Truthfully, they would not say it, but they would BREATHE it.

Did you know that the consonants used in the spelling of the sacred name YAHWEH are in fact, the only consonants that, if correctly pronounced, do not require you to use your tongue or close your lips? In fact, we know that the pronouncing of the SACRED NAME was an attempt to imitate breath. It was a picture of inhalation and exhalation. Would you try it with me? Inhale the “YAH” and exhale the “WEH” (pronounced WAY). Again, inhale “YAH” and exhale the “WEH”. You can do all of this without moving your lips or using your tongue. It’s all in your breath! Isn’t it amazing that Jesus is the breath of life?

As you breathe, I want to remind you that you are not in charge of whether or not you are breathing…God is! God is the author of every breath, so breathing His name is a reminder to us of all that HE IS all powerful, all holy, all knowing, and all present. He is the breath of life…YAHWEH.

Now, listen these amazing Scriptures:

“And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.” Acts 17:25 

“The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.” (Job 33:4, NIV) 

“By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host.” (Psalm 33:6, NIV) 

“And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’” (John 20:22, NIV)

Your lungs are filled with the breath of God. Breathe deeply.

We have come so far together. In learning how to fill our hearts with hope, we are becoming HOPE-FULL!!

Never forget my friend…

You are a miracle!

Scriptures: Psalms 107:2, Revelation 12:11, Luke 14:23

Invite Them In

Hello! I pray that your hope in Jesus has grown every day this week. We are moving towards being Hope-full as we fill our minds, hearts and bodies with God’s miracle promises. 

A few years back, my kids bought me a woodstone pizza oven for Christmas. I love food, and I especially love pizza. But even more than pizza, I love what happens when you invite people to come and share it. Over the past summers, we have hosted some of our closest friends to come over and enjoy a meal. Taking the time to sit, eat, talk and connect over God’s provision is such an amazing experience. 

Who have you invited to fill your table? I know that may sound like an odd question, but it really matters when it comes to becoming more and more hopeful. When we are isolated and alone, our hope fades. We begin to feel invisible and insignificant. But, when we intentionally connect with people, something happens inside of our spirit, and we become more and more hopeful. The key is a godly connection with godly people. 

I love these two Scriptures: 

“Let the redeemed of the LORD tell their story—those he redeemed from the hand of the foe.” (Psalm 107:2, NIV) 

“And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.” (Revelation 12:11, NIV) 

Do you see the power of connecting with other people? When we fill our tables with people and then add the power of our testimony about Jesus, Satan literally loses. 

Dear friend, if you are struggling with hope, do the opposite of what you may feel like doing. Instead of withdrawing and pulling away into isolation, invite some people to your table. Talk about Jesus, share some food, and you will be able to fill your stomach and your heart at the same time! 

Before we choose hope today, I want to remind you of one more important and hopeful truth. God has invited you to His table. Luke 14 tells us that God has laid out a banquet invitation and YOU are on the guest list. Don’t make excuses and miss the party! Come and accept His invitation so your heart can be FULL! 

I love these words that describe God’s heart for you, “Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be FULL! (Luke 14:23 NIV) 

When we fill our tables, our hope is soon to follow. 

Never forget my friend… 

You are a miracle!

Scriptures: Ephesians 3:20-21, Revelation 21:3-5

Jesus, Our Hope

Hello. Thanks for joining me on this last day of this journey in which we have learned how to be filled with hope so that we can be hopeful! Over the past six days, we have filled our mouths with hopeful words, filled our schedules with margin so that we can welcome God’s divine interruptions, filled our thoughts with focus so that we can think about things from above, filled our lungs with the breath of God and filled our tables with the testimony and connection of God’s people. I pray that each of these practical choices has filled your heart with hope and that you are becoming more and more hopeFULL! 

When I am struggling to stay hopeful, I have to go back before I can move forward. When hope seems lost, I have to go back to God’s promises so I can move forward with a hopeful heart.

One of my favorite promises from God is from Ephesians 3:20-21. This beautiful “doxology” or “closing praise statement” says, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21, NIV) 

That first sentence has become a promise that I cling to in the face of a crumbling world. Now to Him, who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine! God can do more than we can ask or even imagine! When I read stories about the wars in Ukraine, Israel and countless other places around the world, I am tempted to feel hopeless. But, as I hope for peace, God reminds me that He can do more than I can ask or even imagine. 

When I begin to feel hopeless that God will do a miracle and give my wife her sight back, God reminds me that HE can do more than I can ask or even imagine. When I feel hopeless that the words of a daily email can bring value to you, Jesus reminds me that He can do more than I can ask or even imagine. And, when my hope is dimming and life seems to be moving from struggle to struggle, God reminds me that one day this will happen: 

“Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them.They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’ He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!”’Then he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’” (Revelation 21:3-5, NIV) 

My friend, Jesus is hope. As you fill your mouth, day, focus, mind, lungs, tables and heart with God’s plan to be hopeful, I pray that you will overflow with the glorious hope of Jesus. 

With great hope I remind you… 

You are a miracle!