Where's the Hope?

“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.” (Luke 12:31 NLT)

God’s will for your life is good, pleasing, and perfect. But you’ve got to have a worldview shift that transforms and renews the mind.

Jesus said in Luke 12:31, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.” You cannot have two number ones in your life. So what’s going to be one and what’s going to be two? God says to put him first. Put him number one in your life, and he’ll take care of the rest.

Several years ago I spoke at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Two thousand of the brightest people in the world were brought in to discuss the conditions of the world with this theme: “Committed to improving the state of the world.” There’s only one problem. When you remove God from the picture, all you’ve got left is politics. That has failed for the last 100 years. You’re not going to solve the state of the world until you first deal with the souls of people. You can’t legislate change. You can’t force people to change. You can’t make a law that makes people be nice to each other. They have to change their worldview.

People need God. And they need truth. They’ve built their houses on shifting sand, and when the crisis comes they’re going, “Where’s the hope?” They’re like a group of people who’ve been walking across the Sahara Desert for weeks without water. Their throat is parched and their lips are cracked, and they’re going, “Would somebody please give me a drink of living water? Will somebody please show me how my life can have meaning and significance and purpose? I’m successful, but I don’t feel significant.”

We have what they need. We have the Living Water of God’s truth that refreshes and restores and rejuvenates and revitalizes and changes our lives. We have the message. We have to know what we believe and why we believe it, share it, and then live it.

That, friends, will change the world.

Would you pray this prayer today? “Dear God, thank you that you have given us truth on which to build our lives. I want to learn the truth. I want to discern what is false. I want to turn from the world to the Word. I want to concern myself with your agenda and what you’re doing in the world. Help me to know what I believe and then help me to live what I believe. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

The Wise Know God is Constantly With Them

“God is always on the alert, constantly on the lookout for people who are totally committed to him.” (2 Chronicles 16:9 MSG)

When God gives you a mission, you can be sure you’ll run into delays, difficulties, detours, and dead ends along the way. They are a natural part of life. But you can be ready for them.

For example, if anybody had a right to be discouraged, it was Noah. Do you know how long it took Noah to build the ark? 120 years. Could you go 120 years on a project without one word of encouragement from anybody else in society?

Noah trusted God. And when he heard God's warning about the future, Noah believed him, even though there was no sign of a flood. I bet there were many days that Noah didn't feel like going to work, but for 43,800 days, he went to the same place, and he worked. He never gave up.

Don't give up on your dream, either. Don't give up on your marriage. Don't give up on your health. Don't, don't, don't give up. God is in control. You haven’t read the final chapter of your life. God's already written it, but you haven't read it yet.

The Bible says, “God is always on the alert, constantly on the lookout for people who are totally committed to him” (2 Chronicles 16:9 MSG). God is looking for people that he can bless.

Talk About It -

• What is the God-size dream you’ve been ready to give up on because of difficulties and delays?

• How do you want God to bless you as you commit your life fully to him?

The Wise Keep on Track

"Don't lose sight of my words. Let them penetrate deep within your heart, for they bring life and radiant health to anyone who discovers their meaning." Proverbs 4:21-22 (NLT)

One of the pitfalls you may face as you fulfill your purpose in life is a temptation to take shortcuts.

In truth, these shortcuts will only get you off track. The shortcuts may be moral, ethical, spiritual, financial, or even relational.

But they will distract you from what God wants you to do in your life, eventually eating up your time, energy, resources, and creativity.

Shortcuts are always shortsighted. God wants you to stop being “absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that's where the action is. See things from his perspective”. (Colossians 3:2 MSG)

Talk About It -

• What are the shortcuts you’ve tried to take in the past when working toward your goals?

• How can shortcuts cause us to be disobedient to God?

The Wise Look Ahead and Make Plans

“The wise man looks ahead. The fool attempts to fool himself and won’t face facts.” (Proverbs 14:8 TLB)

Many people in life start out well, but they end up going poorly because they don't plan for the pitfalls. But the Bible says the wise man looks ahead.

We all face pitfalls as we make plans for our future, such as cultural distractions, voices of doubt, tempting shortcuts, and discouraging delays. Just take a look at Noah. He had pitfalls after God told him to build the ark, but he overcame them — and you can, too.

Now, this doesn’t mean God will give you the goal of building an ark, but I pray he’ll give you a big goal for your next 10 years.

The Bible says we’re wise to look ahead and make plans. By doing that, we’ll not only be prepared to spot the pitfalls when they come into our lives; we’ll also be prepared to apply the antidote to the pitfalls of life. As the Bible says, only the fool fails to look ahead.

Ask God to help you establish goals for the next decade of your life. Then you’ll be ready to learn how to handle the pitfalls that could potentially keep you from getting where God wants you to go.

Talk About It

• How do your goals reflect the power of God in your life? Do you dream big because you serve a big God?

• What are the lessons from your last 10 years that you can apply to your next decade?