“And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.” // Romans 5:5 NLT
When I found out I was pregnant, I was elated (and if I’m honest a little nervous) thinking about what it would be like when my daughter arrived, all the places I’d take her out in her pushchair, all the people we’d visit, the mother and baby classes, visiting the grandparents…
But reality turned out to be very different from expectation. Noah Eva Heron arrived unexpectedly 12 weeks early, weighing just 1.33kg (2lb 9). She spent a gruelling 8 weeks in intensive care, overcoming hurdle after hurdle, then a further 3 weeks fighting off a life threatening infection. We watched her stop breathing more times than we care to remember, fighting hard for her place in this world.
And all of this took place during COVID, which meant that my husband and I could not be there for each other. We had to do each visit alone. Then when we got out, visiting people was out of the question, non-essential shops weren’t open and no mother and baby classes were running. It was all very isolating. Reality looked very different to how I had imagined it.
It’s easy to let disappointment set in when your expectations don’t match up with reality. It’s easy to question where God is in the middle of such chaos. But our hope in God isn’t based on our outward circumstance. His promises are forever yes and amen, regardless of our present reality. This means that when He says something is true, we can wait in eager expectation knowing it will be reality.
Most of us found 2020 at least at least a little disappointing. I found 2020 downright traumatising. When expectations fail and reality is tough, the only thing we can do is hang tight to the promises from God’s word. It’s really, really tough. I’ve lived it. I’m still living it. But the promises of God will never fail and are an anchor for our souls in the middle of whatever storm is raging. So below I’ve listed 10 of my favourites; I hope they encourage you in whatever you are facing.
// His love for us never runs out (1 Chronicles 16:34)
// His word is perfect and refreshes our souls (Psalm 19:7)
// He takes care of those who trust in him (Nahum 1:7)
// He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak (Isaiah 40:29)
// Despite the fire going on around us, God is with us ensuring we don’t get burnt (Isaiah 43:2)
// Through prayer and petition, God’s peace will come (Philippians 4:6-7)
// Seek His Kingdom and righteousness first and God will give you all you need (Matt 6:33)
// Lean of God’s understanding rather than your own and He will lead you where you need to go (Prov 3:5-6)
// Come to Jesus and he will give you rest (Matt 11:28)
// He brings freedom from captivity and heals the broken-hearted (Isaiah 61:1)
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