It was the second week in the Hello Mornings Advent Study > True Light For Everyone: Celebrating Jesus, the Light of the World.

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We started our week with reading 2 Samuel 7:1-7. Several thoughts came to mind as I read the verses:

• David’s desire to build a Temple was a good one. His longing was to honor God.
• Nathan was a godly man yet his response encouraged David to follow through on David’s own plans.
• When God brought correction, Nathan faithfully delivered the message.

Seeing these thoughts before me brought several conclusions:

1. We can have good ideas and intents, but they may not align with God’s will and purposes.
   
2. Even a godly person can give wrong counsel.
3. May we humble ourselves before others when we are corrected.

David had the plan to build the Temple, but it would be his son, Solomon, who would see the plan to fruition.

“Each of us did the work the Lord gave us. I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow.” (1 Corinthians 3:5-6, NLT). 

Have you ever had an idea which was not yours to carry out?

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In 2 Samuel 7:18-29, we find “David’s Prayer of Thanks” (as the heading in my Bible tells me).

His words reveal authentic humility. David realized God had made promises to him knowing full well all of David’s weaknesses and strengths. It was because of these very promises David was able to accomplish the great things he had done.

God’s character and His faithfulness to His promises filled David with the courage to boldly pray.

“Your kingdom come” is the thrust of verse 27 and “Your will be done” the thrust of verse 28.
(Warren Wiersbe Study Bible)

There are parts of our faith journeys in the past, and present, which will require the courage to pray,”Your Kingdom come,” or “Your will be done”.

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We brought this second week of study to a close with reading Psalms 18:49-50 and Romans 15:4-13.

Everything which God caused to be recorded in what we now hold in our hands as our Bibles, is meant to teach us and fill us with hope.

Hope.

Let’s note a few things about hope from the Romans passage:

• God is the source of all hope.
• This means apart from Him, we have no hope.
• We receive this hope “as we trust in Him“.

We experience hope in our lives as we continually trust in Him. As we trust Him, we remind ourselves that everything in His hands and He never fails us.

Hope and trust – like two peas in a pod.

As we trust God, the Holy Spirit fills us with hope because of the completed work of Christ.

We cannot fill ourselves with hope. As we abide in Him and trust Him, He steps in and fills us with hope.

“Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

I want to leave you with a few quotes I found on hope:

“Hope means expectancy when things are otherwise hopeless.”
(G.K. Chesterton)

“God is the only one who can make the valley of trouble a door of hope.” (Catherine Marshall)

“Simply by our proximity to Jesus, we can bring hope and life to people and places trapped in discouragement and despair.” (Louie Giglio)

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As we trust God,
He fills us with courage to work out our part in His plan,
and abundant hope in Him.

Graphics by Megan Della Tingle.
Today I am joining … Tell His Story and Purposeful Faith and InstaEncouragements .