![]() That’s a promise for us all…a promise of double for your trouble! Double the blessing…double the joy…double the peace! Hallelujah! Now doesn’t that inspire hope in your heart? And so you will inherit a double portion in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours (NIV). And over time, He kept loving me and dealing with me, promising me what Isaiah 61:7 says: Instead of your shame you will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace you will rejoice in your inheritance. Because of all of the negative things that had happened, I was programmed to believe that negative things would always happen. I was stuck in the pain of my past, so I didn’t believe anything good would happen in my future. My negative outlook was due to my attitude about all the bad things that had happened in my life. So, think of it this way: What are you hoping for? What are you expecting in life? What are you looking forward to? Focus on that. And that can make it difficult to grasp the idea of enjoying life. I do realize there are many things that can happen to us that aren’t so enjoyable. And hope is the confident, favorable expectation of this life. Jesus died for us to live an abundant, fulfilling life. Now I enjoy my life and I encourage others to enjoy theirs as well. Today my outlook on life is completely different from what it was many years ago. As I grew in my relationship with God, I learned how to trust Him, how to stand on His Word, and how to stand my ground in prayer when it got tough. This is the way I used to live…before I became a prisoner of hope. ![]() I had a very negative outlook on life, so I spoke negatively about it. ![]() I remember it was just three weeks into my marriage to Dave, when he asked me one day, “What’s wrong with you? You have such a negative attitude!” And I said, “Well, if you don’t expect anything good to happen, then you won’t be disappointed when it doesn’t.” That was how I felt based on my feelings about past experiences. And hope is what helped me hold on in those early years when it got hard. He promised me things concerning my ministry and my life. Over the years, I’ve learned how to lock myself up in a prison of hope, knowing that God has nothing but His best planned for me. Hope is vital in times like these, and it will keep us looking ahead, anticipating, expecting whatever it is we’re hoping for. I think that’s good advice, especially in times when it feels like we’ve been waiting and waiting…and waiting for something to happen in our lives. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying (NLT). In the meantime, Romans 12:12 tells us to rejoice in our confident hope. No matter what may be going on right now, God’s plan is unfolding. And He has a good plan for each of our lives.
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