Echoes of Hope

Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.

─ Proverbs 23:18

God, church, ministry … Jason’s life as a child revolved around the work his parents did. Once out of the house and on his own, he wanted no part of it. God, religion and rules piled up in his mind – a tangled clump of spaghetti – unable to separate one from the other. People, those who said they were Christians, usually disappointed him. He loved his parents, but he’d seen his parents hurt by religious leaders in the name of serving God. It left a bad taste in his mouth.

Jason spent his twenties fighting a lack of confidence, depression, despair, anxiety, insecurity and hopelessness. He knew in the midst of his despair; his parents were praying for him. At his lowest point, he laid out a plan to end his life. The day he decided would be his last day on earth, his father’s words echoed all day long in is mind – “God knows you! He planned your life before the foundations of the world and those plans are good!”

Suddenly, the heaviness pressing on his chest loosened. He knew he was no longer alone. He wasn’t sure how, but he knew God was near. His father’s words broke through the darkness and gave him hope. He believed those words and understood the life God gave him was worth living.

Today’s One Thing

What words have echoed in your heart to convince you of God’s mercy and faithfulness? Who said those words to you? Have a conversation with them and let them know the impact their words have made in your life.

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