But set Christ apart as Lord in your hearts and always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks about the hope you possess. – 1 Peter 3:15, NET
Hope is a powerful force. With it you will endure unspeakable things but without it, you give up and end up in despair. How’s your hope meter doing right now? If you’re like so many people, you find yourself without hope or close to it. I want 2018 to be different and that’s why I’m declaring 2018 to be a year of hope. Over the next 30 days I will post a devotional about verses that give me hope to help encourage you.
Some people may remember 2007 as the year the I35 bridge collapsed over the Mississippi river but I remember it as the year my Grandpa had a brain aneurysm and soon after died. Today’s verse has a special place in my heart because it was the main verse in his funeral. I very thankful I was able to say goodbye even though he couldn’t respond but that doesn’t give me hope. My hope is in the confidence of seeing him again one day. His last day on earth wasn’t the end, it was just the beginning to something even better.