HOPE - 2017 Version

My ONE WORD for 2017 is HOPE~

We've only just opened the book. The title on the outer cover has our name on it. As we open it's crisp, white pages, we notice that they are mostly blank. YES! You heard me right. The pages of this book are empty, free from words or pictures. If we'll backtrack and take a look at the spine of this book, we'll also find the publishing year of our book - 2017. Aha!

This book we've just cracked open is the story of our life. The 2017 version. The story is written by the most famous and accredited author yet - Jehovah God. One page at a time, one day at a time. If we were to count the pages of this book, we'd see there are exactly 365 pages. One page for each day of the year because His mercies are new each day.

As we go about our days, we can be assured that He is writing. Whatever we're met with in each of our days has been divinely orchestrated by Him. He also has the ability to write us in and out or through every single tragedy, every gloriously, victorious moment, each valley and mountaintop experience. Yes, the author of our story has special plans for our lives and will work everything out for our good where we'll allow Him. With each new, blank page He continues to woo us closer to Him; He invites us to grow and become deeper in love with Him - and closer to each other. 

With each clean page He extends grace and mercy and offers hope if we'll keep turning the pages He is writing. 

What more do we need on some days than an extra dose of - hope? 

Hope keeps us plodding along. Hope helps our perspective - to see brighter things ahead. Hope gives us strength to keep holding on. Hope says no matter what it looks like presently, there is yet another page to begin anew. Hope allows us to stumble, to fail, to make mistakes and still be a winner at the back of the book. Along the way, we'll learn and grow so there's no reason to regret the scraped up knees. The scars will only prove we've not been afraid of moving forward or getting back up. Hope. 

I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.  Ps. 130:5

I told you the pages were mostly blank. My friend, if we'll look in the front, we'll find a forward section, written especially to us from the Author. He invites us to trust Him as He pens the words to a beautiful love story He desires to create within each of us. We must only be willing to follow closely as He writes each page and never close the book before it is completed. 

Closing note: We're not the only one reading our book. Each page offers hope - not only to us but to others along our path who are reading and watching our story lines too. Let's learn to see hope in every day.

 

January One page has already been written, let's turn the page and be encouraged...H O P E!