Fresh Manna
by Pastor Tim Burt

Over the years, there have been more than few times where I was thrust into the midst of discouraging situations. It seemed as though they had been designed to steal my hope. I have determinedly resisted allowing myself to ever become overwhelmed with discouragement no matter how bad things appeared. I did because in my heart, I know in Jesus, there is always hope!

Just like a fire might start with a spark to kindling, faith begins with a spark of hope! If you didn’t have something to initially spark hope, you would have no hope. If you have no hope you are hopeless. If you allow yourself to come to the place of hopelessness, you’ve let go of the faith that would have brought God’s answers, encouragement, and deliverance to your hardship. And this is exactly why the devil is bent on making you hopeless. He wants you to have zero faith in God. Remember, Satan too knows the scriptures and knows that God’s word says “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV) 

If the devil had his way, he’d keep you hopeless at all times. He’d beat you down in your circumstances. He’d beat you down in your walk with God, trying to make you feel shallow, buried under false condemnation, and feeling like you’re an embarrassment to God. (I promise you that you are not!) He’d beat you down in your imagination leading you to believe that the future holds nothing but darkness. If you don’t know this, you need to! His full-time effort is to create disappointment in our life and drive you to a state of hopelessness. Why? When you allow yourself to become hopeless, he’s got you right where he wants you. Proverbs 13:12 (NLT) says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when dreams come true, there is life and joy (literally: a refreshing that makes you feel alive again!) The devil is the author of death and destruction—the thief of all life. Jesus is the giver of abundant life!

People are pushed by the devil into negative circumstances, feelings of inadequacy, loneliness, and finally to the place of hopelessness every day. He tries to pluck every last ounce of hope from our heart like plucking petals off of a flower. He is quick to remind you of your failures but never reminds you of your achievements or successes—unless he can use them to lead you into pride! He points out your every flaw, but never mentions the transformations of maturity and character change that God has worked in you. He paints the picture of bleakness and hopelessness instead of the promise of God’s Word. This is exactly why Jesus came into this world—to dismantle the lies and deceits of the devil and to restore us to Himself, His mercy and His love. We see this in 1 John 3:8 (NLT) “…the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil.”  Jesus taught us through His Word how to handle this enemy of your soul. Math 8:16 says that “Jesus would cast out devils with His Word…” 

You are to do the same! In those moments of discouragement and hopelessness, rise up and cast him out! Jesus would say to the devils, “Get out, be gone, I rebuke you.” You do the same in Jesus name! And what should we do after that? You need to spark your hope! How do you do that? I’ll tell you in my next post! But for today, take authority over the enemy of your soul and rebuke him in your heart, your mind, and every circumstance in your life! I’ll pick up next time with Faith is Kindled with the Spark of Hope! 

Romans 15:4 “Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. They give us HOPE and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled.” (NLT)

In His love,
Pastor Tim Burt

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