The Safest Place For Your Hope
Written by Cheryl Boyce
Note To Parents:
Welcome to Week 3! We are a welcoming church located in the Yonge and Eglinton area that wants to support our community both on and offline. September can be so busy. We appreciate your participation in this series of “Fighting Words.” It’s a real honour to help guide you and your family through these powerful scriptures. We’d love to hear how this impacts your family time and what you’ve been learning together. Feel free to email us at office@impactto.ca or leave a message on our socials.
Now that we have to be conscious of physical distance, it’s even more critical to connect. We want to keep the conversation going regardless of the distance between us.
This week we’re once again talking about how our hope is in God and that we can rely on him to protect us.
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DEVOTIONAL
When I was a little girl, I watched a show called “Little House On The Prairie.” It followed the lives of a family that lived and worked on their own little farm. Each episode was about how they managed their struggle to pay the bills, stay healthy and overcome all the obstacles the harsh conditions of their time period threw at them.
One day, the father, Charles Ingalls, learned that he had received an inheritance from a distant relative. They were told that they would receive all the relative’s money, which would make them wealthy people. The family was so excited that they began to live as though they were wealthy, even though they hadn’t actually received the money yet.
They did this because they trusted what the lawyer had said to them.
When the time finally came for them to receive the money, they were heartbroken to learn that their money was an outdated form of currency and was worth nothing. Their hearts sank as they realized that their trust in what the lawyer had told them was misplaced, and now they had bills that they were unable to pay.
What a lesson!
In life, there are so many things we can pin our hopes on. Many of us put our hope in the amount of money we have in our bank account, a relationship or having a degree. The truth is nothing is certain except for God. He is the safest place to put our hope.
The scriptures tell us that God does not lie. He is faithful and honest, and we can put all of our hopes in him.
This scripture reminds us that when things don’t go our way, we can have an unwavering hope because He is our helper and our protector.
How awesome is that?! Just think about it! The entire universe’s creator is interested in each of our lives and has made himself available. He wants to help us and to protect us. It’s what he does!
How incredible is that?! Once we truly understand how much God loves us and wants to be actively involved in our lives, there’s no way we can’t live a life full of more hope and courage.
Some Stuff To Think About
Question 1: What are some things or people that you have put your hope in?
Question 2: Have you ever been let down by things you put your hope in?
Question 3: Can you think of some ways in your life that God has helped you or protected you?
Challenge: This week, take some time to think about how God is working to help and protect you. Remember those moments and discuss them at dinner or another time when you and your family or friends are together. See if you can make a list of all the ways you have seen God working in your lives.
PRAYER
(Here’s a prayer to pray together or on your own as you memorize your “Fighting Words” this week.)
“Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you so much for today. Thank you that we can read your bible and find a hope we can count on. Thank you for always working to help us and protect us. Help me this week to keep my hope in you and not to be discouraged. Open up my eyes to see all the ways you are always working to help me and protect me.
Amen!”