Holding on to HopeSample

# Our Mission ### By Samantha Rodriguez “Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”— Romans 5:9-11 (NIV) Have you ever found yourself asking the question, “What’s next?” Perhaps you couldn't figure out the next step to a math problem, or maybe what to do after the busyness of school ended, and the fearful freedom of summer began. Perhaps you are beginning to think about life after high school, much like I was during junior and senior year, and you have no clue about what the future holds. Oftentimes, we won’t immediately have the answers to what our next step should be. However, one next step that is always the right step is sharing Jesus with others. These past three days, we talked about the truth of God’s salvation, character, and promises, which helps us grow in our faith through difficulty and remain hopeful at all times. As a result of this, we no longer live the way we did before we knew God. The gospel provokes a change that transforms our hearts, our eternal destination, our mindset, our lifestyle, and our mission here and now. In today’s passage, we see Paul describe and praise God for the reconciliation we've graciously received from Him. In one of his other letters, 2 Corinthians, Paul proceeds to describe how we've been given this very message and ministry of reconciliation to share with others! Let’s think back to the title of this plan . . . Holding on to Hope . When considering what to call this devotional, we knew it had to include hope. We pray you'll realize that holding on to hope should not end with ourselves! A major aspect of holding on to hope is showing others how they can hold on to hope as well. Just as we love to share a new TV series or restaurant with our friends or family, we should also find joy in sharing the good news of Christ! In doing this, we will not only be obedient to the Lord, but we'll also be reminding ourselves of our truth and hope (Titus 3:8). Regardless of our circumstances, I pray we remember the truth of the gospel, the hope it gives us, and the next step to take in sharing this with others! Pause: Ask the Lord to reveal to you, someone who needs to hear about the hope you hold on to. Practice: Take a step today to share with that person you thought of in the “Pause” section. It could even just be a text or a phone call! Pray: Lord, help me to remember that the hope You have given me in Your promises and Your gospel is not only something for me to cling to and build my life upon but also something for me to share with others! I want to live my life for You, and part of that means living to make Your name known! Thank You for promising to help me with that. Amen! Worship Song: Listen to "I Will Follow" by Chris Tomlin.