STILL: A 3-Day Devotional by Michael W. SmithExemplo

Hope

“For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.“ - Jeremiah 29:11

I love the mountains. They are both beautiful and majestic. A taste of heaven and a glimpse of God. 

Recently when I went to the mountains, they were hidden by a thick layer of smoke from wildfires. Their beauty was concealed. I was so disappointed that I couldn’t see them! Then the next day it began to rain. The temperature suddenly dropped and the rain turned to snow. The strong winds blew the snowflakes around in heavy swirls. It looked like a blizzard in September! When the storm cleared away, the mountains were revealed in striking beauty. The smoke was gone. The trees and mountaintops were blanketed in white. 

The following day, the snow melted and the green appeared. The birds sang, the creek flowed, and the sun warmed us. As the land appeared to wake from death to life, God spoke to me and awakened my heart. 

The enemy is constantly lying to us, trying to convince us there is no hope. He says that life is too hard, that God isn’t good, and He’s holding out on us.

We give into fear as the smoke surrounds us. It clouds our vision, hiding the beauty of God (and our beauty in Him). But the truth is, there is hope. 

God Himself is our hope! When we turn to Him and trust that He has good plans for us (“plans to give us a hope and a future”), His healing rain clears away the smoke. We remember that the blood of Jesus has washed us “white as snow.” 

Our enemy wants to keep us confused and hidden. He wants us to doubt God and doubt ourselves. Why? Because he is afraid of us. He’s afraid of who we really are in Jesus and the plans God has for us. He wants to stunt our growth and stop us from being all we were made to be. God wants to reveal our true beauty as we change the world for His kingdom.

Maybe you’re lost in the smoke right now. Maybe things have happened in your life that don’t make sense. Things that aren’t fair. Maybe your heart has been broken. Run to the heart healer, the truth teller, the grace giver. Allow him to open your eyes, clear away the haze, and heal your heart. Run to Jesus, behold his beauty, and receive his love. He has never left you. There is hope in Him!