God Wants to Do Beyond What You Can Imagine | iBelieve Truth | A Devotional for Women
Carina Alanson
Contributing Writer
I stood in my kitchen surrounded by the debris of everyday life—dirty pots cluttered the countertops, and the baby’s toys littered the linoleum—but inside, I was waltzing through a wonderland of future possibilities. A new idea had just blossomed in my mind related to something I’d been dreaming about for a long time, and I felt full of joy and expectation. But as I considered my next steps, I heard an inner voice whisper, quiet but clear: Don’t get your hopes up. Don’t get your hopes up. How often have we heard this advice from others? How often have we said it to ourselves?
Tamping down hope is appealing because we know all too well from past experience how painful disappointed hopes can be. As a child shying away from a stove after having his fingers singed, we’re tempted to view our dreams from a distance, aiming to avoid further grief. Emotionally, it’s the safest path, isn’t it? Perhaps. But deep down, I know that’s not how I want to live. I want to be someone who lives with hope every day of my life, even if a specific situation doesn’t turn out the way I anticipated. I want to live with the hope that God is good and at work, no matter how fragmented things appear. Hope that the dreams He planted in me are possible. Hope that He is bigger than my personal limitations, my lack of connections, or my remote location. So, seductive as it is, I’m choosing to push the voice of pessimism away. I’m choosing to hope. I’m gathering my courage and believing the dream is possible. But even more importantly, I’m choosing to hope in God.
“Now glory be to God, who by his mighty power at work within us is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of—infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes.” Ephesians 3:20 (TLB)
Click here to read the full devotional ...
What truth from today’s devotional is God using to encourage your heart? Share your reflection and join our conversation in the iBelieve Truth Devotional Forum.
Follow iBelieve.com
