1 Peter 3:15
“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.”

In my last post I talked about how hard years build trust. Over the last year I’ve really learned how to trust in the Lord and how to hear His voice. But there’s another feeling that walks right alongside trust, and that’s hope.

Hope is something I’ve been struggling with a little lately.

As I’m walking with the Lord, sometimes the next step feels uncertain. Even though I trust Him, the hope I’m supposed to be shining sometimes gets clouded by my insecurities and anxiety.

Here’s a little background.

Back in November I met a man in a Christian server online. As we got to know each other, we both felt the Lord speaking very clearly that we were meant to be together and start a ministry together. The Lord works in mysterious ways, and things moved quickly. We fell in love and got married.

Now we’re trying to figure out what our next step is.

He lives in another country, and right now that country is involved in military defense. Even though we trust that the Lord brought us together and that His love flows through our relationship, there are still moments where anxiety creeps in. Especially because this decision doesn’t just affect me. I’m bringing my daughter with me too.

But recently something reminded me where my focus needs to be.

At church we were singing about how even when weapons are formed against us, the Lord is still worthy of our praise. And it hit me that the world is watching. When people look at Christians, they’re looking to see what hope actually looks like.

If I let my anxiety and insecurities take center stage, then that’s what people will see when they look at me. They won’t see hope.

And hope is exactly what the world is searching for right now.

Everywhere you look there is fear, violence, and uncertainty. People are desperately trying to find something solid to hold on to. Some shred of hope that things will be okay.

As citizens of heaven, we already have that hope.

We know where our future lies. We know who holds our lives in His hands. We know that no matter what happens in this world, God is still sovereign.

So even when the next step feels impossible, I will trust the Lord. And I will cling to hope. Not just quietly in my heart, but boldly enough that the people who are searching for hope can see it through me.

Because that hope isn’t mine to keep. It’s meant to shine.

Prayer

Lord, help me to walk in both trust and hope. When anxiety tries to cloud my heart, remind me that my life is in Your hands. Help me to live in such a way that others can see the hope You have given me. Let my conversations point to You, and let the way I act in uncertain times radiate the hope You have placed in me.

Father, You told us to ask and it will be given. Help us show that same truth to those around us, that the hope we have in You is available to all who seek You. Amen.