Strength     

Thursday, December 31

Strength     

Return to your fortress, you prisoners of hope; even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you. Zechariah 9:12

Zechariah 9:12 is a powerful verse that reads, ‘Return to your fortress, you prisoners of hope.’ It read almost as a bad thing but, I would much rather be a ‘prisoner of hope’, than a ‘prisoner of despair’ and no doubt, most of you would agree with me. Despite what 2021 may have dished out, I chose to remain hopeful. Did you know we actually get to choose which one imprisons us, hope or despairs and I can hear the Holy Spirit saying, “Choose Hope!”

I once read a story of a missionary speaking to a group of women about hope. Most of these women had lived very difficult lives and were nursing deep, emotional wounds. They were learning not to lick their wounds instead to place their hope in God, as their nation sought to re-build itself after the fall of Socialism. In order to illustrate hope a comical story of a dog was shared. The ladies were asked to imagine a little dog, representing them, with a large, oversized bone clenched between its teeth, representing hope. The little dog was holding on to the bone with all its might, determined that no one was going to steal it.

Now imagine a person trying to snatch away the bone, and the little dog, with gritted teeth, feistily growling through a tightly clenched jaw. The tiny dog continues to hold on, even begins to growl. Then the author shared this is how we need to be, when the devil or other people try to steal our hope.

It was a strange picture to imagine, but powerful nevertheless, and one, I hope, which will continue to speak to you for years to come.

Prayer for today: Father God, I choose to put my hope in You so I can be strong and overcoming. In Jesus’ name. Amen.