Hope Series Episode 13

Hope Series Episode 13

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Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:23

Hello, my walking friend! Good for you for getting out there and taking a walk! I’m going to share with you some more great health benefits you get just from walking. Did you know that walking 30 minutes a day, five days a week, actually reduces the rate of people becoming diabetic by more than half? Wow! That means that we could cut the number of people who have diabetes in our country by half if everyone just walked 30 minutes a day, five days a week. Now imagine if people would take just 1o minutes of that time and really spent it with Jesus, meditating on his promises and love for them. Imagine how much healthier we would be physically and spiritually! See that, you are setting a good example!

Today is the 13th episode in the hope series and our verse to meditate on is Hebrews 10:23:
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

Charles Spurgeon, the great preacher, once remarked, “Faith’s foundation is God’s faithfulness.” Our hope is based on the unwavering faithfulness of the One who promises.

Have you ever heard the hymn, Great is Thy Faithfulness? Listen to this verse:
“Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father, There is no shadow of turning with Thee; Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not; As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.”

These words remind us that God’s faithfulness is a bedrock on which our hope firmly stands.

The writer of the book of Hebrews, who many believe was the apostle Paul, uses such strong language when he says “unswervingly”, don’t you think? Let us hold “unswervingly” to the hope we profess. Meaning, don’t deviate one little bit from the hope you have in Jesus Christ. Stand firm in your faith. Stand firm in your hope, as though you are standing on bedrock, because you are!

Matthew Henry said, “Let us not only keep the faith but also keep up our hope, for our hope will encourage us to hold fast our faith.” Our hope fuels our faith and our faith fuels our hope. Don’t give an inch on either, my walking friend! The enemy would love for you to lose hope and begin to doubt. He would love to sideline you from being a part of God’s army. Don’t give him the opportunity! Go back and read God’s promises to you. Reflect on what he has already done in your life. Do what it takes to build your faith. Put on the armor of God. His promises are true. He is faithful. So hold unswervingly to the hope you have because the world needs you to be a beacon of hope.

So, in moments of doubt, remember that God remains faithful to His promises. Share your hope in Christ with others, spreading encouragement and reassurance. Be a source of hope and strength for those around you, reminding them of God’s unwavering faithfulness.

Now let’s take a little time to meditate on today’s verse and on God’s faithfulness, Hebrews 10:23:
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

You are now at the halfway point of your walk. If you need to be back in 10 minutes, this would be the time to turn around and head back.

The second half of our walk is an opportunity for reflection, meditation, and prayer. For many of us, myself included, this might feel challenging. But the spiritual rewards, and transformation, that come from developing this discipline is great and so is the power of the Holy Spirit to help us. So let’s start with some questions that will guide you in the process of reflection.

When you profess you are a follower of Jesus, you are saying to those around you that you have put your hope in him. Do your words, attitudes, and actions reflect your hope in Jesus? If not, what can you do to make your profession of faith a reality in your heart?

Do you ever slip into thinking that your good works influence God’s love for you? If so, how might this affect your hopefulness? How can knowing the truth that God’s love for you is not dependent on you make you more hope filled?

Unswervingly means you are constant and steadfast. Jesus is constant and steadfast in who he is and in his love for you. How can this truth help you have a hope that is unswerving?

Now let’s listen to today’s verse one last time:
Hebrews 10:23:
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

Is there anything else you would like to talk to Jesus about? Anything going on in your life? Remember he is right there with you, walking with you, and he is eager for you to share all that is on your heart and mind with him. Take some time to talk to him now.

Now I am going to pray for us:
Dear Jesus,
You are my hope. You are my Savior. You are a promise keeper. Thank you for loving me so much that you made a way for me to have a personal relationship with you. Thank you that I don’t have to rely on my own goodness to save my soul. That is a terrifying thought, Lord! Forgive me for the times I pull away from you instead of drawing near. Holy Spirit, remind me often what a gift it is to be in the presence of my Lord and Savior. When the cares of this world weigh me down, remind me of the cross and your great love for me. I want to walk through life boldly, like someone with an unswerving hope, like someone who was once lost but is now saved. And I can walk like that when I walk with you, Jesus. Thank you for walking with me always. Amen.

Well, my walking friend, you did it! Another 10 minutes of walking and another opportunity to build the spiritual discipline of prayer and quiet time with Jesus, the faithful one. I’m grateful for you and I’m grateful you took the time to walk with me today.

For more Walk with Jesus resources, including the Walk with Jesus 21 day scripture, devotional, and guided prayer journal book for walkers, go to WalkWithJesusDevotional.com. You will find the URL for the show notes for this podcast in the episode description.

I hope we can walk together again tomorrow, friend, as we continue our series on hope. Until then, God bless you as you walk with Jesus.