Get Your Hopes Up!: Expect Something Good to Happen to You Every Day (20 page)

Niagara Falls is one of the most awesome and breathtaking sights in all of North America. Even if you haven’t been there to see it for
yourself, you’ve undoubtedly witnessed its majesty on television or in pictures. The mighty rush of the river and the deafening crash of the waterfall are truly awe-inspiring. The wonder and beauty of the world God created never ceases to amaze me!

I think one of the most fascinating things about Niagara Falls is the fact that the falls never run dry. More than 6 million cubic feet of water pour over the falls every minute,
¹
and this is never-ending. There is never a day when the Niagara River stops running and the park rangers send everyone home so they can restock the water supply. Minute after minute, hour after hour, day after day, the water continues to flow.

If you’ve visited Niagara Falls, you know you can’t go anywhere near it without being affected. As you’re walking up through the park, even before you see it, you can hear it. The sound of cascading water on the rocks below is extremely loud. And when you do get close, you start to feel the mist. The spray of the waterfall hangs in the air, and anyone who is anywhere near this natural beauty ends up drenched. It’s a never-ending wonder that impacts every person who comes in contact with it.

This paints a great picture of what hope can be in your life. Just like a river that has never run dry, hope continues to flow. You can swim in it, drink it, share it with others—no matter how many times you draw from it, you can’t exhaust it. Proverbs 23:18 promises that “your hope and expectation shall not be cut off.” That means there will never be a time when you go to the river of hope and find a dry riverbed. Because God is eternal, hope in Him springs eternal. Every day of your life, you can go to Him, full of faith and hope, trusting that He is going to provide what you need.

Not only is hope a river that never runs dry, hope is a waterfall that affects everyone who comes near it. You can hear it, see it, and feel it in the air around you. When you are overflowing with hope, it not only impacts your life, it impacts all those around you. Your hope spills out onto them. The more they come into contact with you,
the more they hear the roar of the waterfall and feel the mist in the air. Before long, they’re saying “I just like being around you. There’s something different about you. I feel hopeful when I talk to you.”

When you get up each morning, believing God for something good to happen in your life, think of the waterfall. Anytime you’re tempted to get discouraged and give up on a dream God has put in your heart, think of the waterfall. And anytime there are people around you who need encouragement, think of the waterfall. Hope isn’t a trickle. Hope isn’t a stream. Hope is a mighty, rushing waterfall that people will travel the world to come and experience.

A critical and cynical world will constantly warn you not to get your hopes up. It will tell you, “Things didn’t work out in the past,” or “Don’t set yourself up for disappointment.” You may be urged to be “reasonable” and not expect too much, but God tells us to expect more than what would be reasonable. He wants us to expect
more
than enough!

I want to encourage you to do just the opposite of what the world would do. Don’t let your carnal mind rule your life. Renew your mind according to God’s Word and learn to think as God does. In every chapter of this book, we’ve seen Scriptures and promises from God encouraging you to hope for His best in your life. We’ve seen biblical examples. We have heard the stories of ordinary people like you and me—men and women who dared to hope that God would fulfill His promises. The question must be asked: Which choice will you make? Will you choose hope or hopelessness? Are you ready to live with a happy anticipation that something good is happening today in you, through you, for you, for your family, in your children, in the world, to your friends, in your circumstances, at your workplace, at school, in the government, et cetera? One thing is for sure: Hopelessness and negativity will never improve anything, but
if there is any possibility that hope and faith in God does work, then why would we not want to try it?

One of the boldest lies the enemy will tell you to keep you from living in the power of hope is that you don’t deserve it.
You don’t deserve to ask God for more. You don’t deserve to believe for His best. You don’t deserve to enjoy your life, because you’ve made too many mistakes along the way
. The world, the flesh, and the devil will remind you of your flaws and your failures, your sins and your shortcomings, and condemnation will try to keep you from approaching God with a hopeful heart.

The truth is this: You don’t deserve hope… and neither do I. We’ve both messed up too many times; and if hope was dependent on our own righteousness, we’d fall way short of earning it. But the power of the Gospel is that when God sees us, He doesn’t look at our failed attempts at righteousness; instead, He sees the perfect work of Jesus’ righteousness. When we were still in the midst of our sins, broken and far from God, Jesus came and paid the price for us. His death paid for every sin, every mistake, every failure, and every shortcoming. There was no way we could earn anything God has given us, but God knew that, so He didn’t ask us to. We’ve been given hope, not because we paid for it, but because Jesus did. And His payment was more than enough.

• A release of pressure
  
• A positive change in your mood
  
• A release from depression
  
• The desire to dream again
  
• A promise of better days ahead
  
• A softening of a hard heart
  
• A refreshed spirit
  
• Motivation to reach your goals
  
• Energy to your soul
  
• Calmness to your mind and emotions
  
• Freedom from worry
  
• Freedom from fear
  
• Enjoyment of life
  
• Patience while you’re waiting
  
• Confidence that prevents you from giving up
  
• The belief that anything and anyone can change
  
• A reminder that God is in control
  
• Excitement about the unknown
  
• Confidence that it is never too late to begin again
  
• The realization that you are not alone
  

This is only a small part of what hope brings, but to be honest, even if you lived with hope and none of these things happened, hope is still worth having because you will be happier with it than you ever could be without it!

There is no limit or restriction on hope. The more you believe, the more pleased God is. But remember—hope is only as strong as its source. If your hope is in a person, a job, or your own strength and ability, you’ll find yourself unhappy and frustrated. All of those things have limitations, but God does not—let Him be the source of your hope. Go through the day singing a hymn written in 1834 by Edward Mote.

Go ahead and get your hopes up! There is no reason not to. Join the millions of others who have stepped out onto hope over the centuries and have never been sorry they did!

We began the first chapter of this book talking about Bad-News Betty. Poor Betty—she was a mess, wasn’t she? Though she had a great family, and though she really loved the Lord, she had very little hope. Betty didn’t have a happy anticipation that good things were going to happen; she had a discouraged anticipation that bad things were inevitable. Instead of assuming the best, Betty braced for the worst… and it was affecting her life.

Frustrated, worried, downcast, or discouraged, maybe you can relate to Betty on some days. Maybe you’ve struggled at times to really experience the abundant, overcoming, joy-filled life Jesus died to give you. Maybe you bought this book because the title sounded like good news, and good news was something you desperately needed.

Well, before I send this manuscript to the publisher, I want to take a moment to speak to you on a personal level. You see, I have high hopes for you. I believe God is going to free you from the heavy chains of “I can’t” and “It’s too late,” so you can soar on the wings of “I can” and “The time is just right.” I have a happy anticipation that you’re going to leave the discouragement and despair of your past where it belongs—in your past—and you’re going to run into the promise of your future.

I don’t know exactly what you’re going through as you read these words. Things might be going great, and you could be excited about a new adventure or opportunity. Or perhaps you’re barely getting by, settling for “good enough” and thinking
It couldn’t get much worse
.
Or it’s possible you’re hurting so deeply that you wonder if the pain will ever go away.

Whatever challenge you’re facing today—no matter how big or small—it’s time to hope again. It’s time to hope for favor. It’s time to hope for breakthrough. It’s time to hope for happiness. The obstacle before you is an opportunity for God to do something amazing in your life. You’re not going to lose—God is on your side, and God’s undefeated.

So get up and get going. Raise your level of expectation. Refuse to settle for “good” when you’ve been promised “great.” Today is a new day in your life—and a new day is a perfect time to get your hopes up.

The pages of this book are filled with Scriptures about hope, but I’ve listed a few more below for additional encouragement
.