What are you hoping for in your life? Do you have a desire that you can’t stop thinking about, praying for and holding tight inside the secret place of your heart?

Have you ever wondered where that desire originated? Is it from your wants and needs, or was it placed there by God to serve a specific purpose in your life?

I know that’s a hard question to answer, especially if you’ve been waiting for any length of time. The more time we wait for prayers to be answered, it becomes only natural to question if the desire is God-centered or centered around what we are desperate to see happen.

I have a theory about this. I believe that when we truly surrender our hearts and lives to Christ that His desires become ours. I believe He places them in our hearts. However, sometimes they aren’t answered exactly the way we think they will be. This is because we see our desires with human eyes and have a very difficult time deciphering why the path we are on doesn’t seem to be taking us where we think we should go.

Today my pastor said something which I considered to be a brilliant illustration of the path we take in life. He spoke of Psalm 119:105

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

He talked about how the verse specifically points out that God shines His light right at our feet and lights the way for us to walk on the path. It doesn’t say He shines the light ahead of us so that we can see the exact direction we will need to go. It requires trust. He will shine the light for each step we take. We need to trust Him for the outcome of where those steps will lead. And throughout every step we must hold tight to hope.

Merriam-Webster gives a few different definitions for the word hope…

Hope – to cherish a desire with anticipation

Hope – to desire with expectation of obtainment

Hope – to expect with confidence

When we decide to surrender, and trust God with each step, we must hold tight to hope. It has to serve as a foundation. It should be the name of the path we walk. Hope necessitates faith and trust. When you have no idea where you are going, or if the outcome will be anything close to the desire of your heart, you must hold hope.

My book, Nothing to Hold but Hope, is my story through walking a 15 year faith and trust journey on the path called hope. Jesus did shine His light on each step, but never far enough ahead for me to know what the outcome to my situation would be. My book will be released on July 2^nd.

If you would like to be part of my social media book launch on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram (or even all 3!) you can leave a comment below on the blog, message me on Facebook, or email me directly. Starting Wednesday, June 25^th I’m beginning the book launch! I will provide more details in Tuesday’s blog post!

Today, I want to encourage you to hold tight to the word of God. Allow Him to be your light at each step and try not to focus on the outcome. Have enough faith and trust to walk the path of hope without veering from it. Understand that He knows the way and will lead you exactly where you need to go. You just need enough energy to take one step at a time in the direction He leads you.

Walk the path of hope today and be blessed.

Love,

Jennifer

Don’t forget to let me know if YOU want to be part of my book launch!