Sometimes hope looks a lot like perseverance.
I love the imagery in our Prayer Pledge's verse from Isaiah: when we hope we don't grow weary, we do not faint.
But what do we do when our feelings of discouragement threaten our choice to hope? We keep hoping anyway. Whether it's our linguistics or our culture, we often confuse the virtue of hope with hopeful feelings. But like love, forgiveness, and faithfulness, hope is a choice. We can choose hope even when our feelings seem contrary.
The prophet Isaiah tells us that those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. Sometimes we need renewal from minute to minute. The Lord offers us that grace. Hope is not relegated to our most traumatic moments or heaviest crosses. Hope is offered to us again and again, and God is ready to give us "grace upon grace" for our present moment.
If you have come near the end of the Prayer Pledge and are still feeling weary or faint, do not fret. Remember that hope is a choice. And when you greet each day with the choice and perspective of hope, we are renewed, and we can continue to run and walk (even when we feel like falling down).
Let Us Pray
Jesus, we trust in You and we rely on You. We choose You this day. We choose hope, again and again. Give us the grace to truly hope in You despite our external circumstances. Amen!
For Discussion
In your current perseverance, are you feeling hopeful or faint? How is your choice to hope in spite of your feeling propelling you forward each day?
Pray with this verse from Isaiah slowly a few times. What word or phrase sticks out to you? What might the Lord be saying to you?
They That Hope: The 2022 Prayer Pledge // Day 30 #BISblog #prayerpledge //Click to tweet
Olivia Spears lives in Kentucky, where sweet tea and bourbon flow like milk and honey. She holds degrees in Theology and Catechetics from the Franciscan University of Steubenville and works from home while enjoying her children and husband. She curates relevant and inspiring content for Catholic women as Blog Manager. She is the narrator of Set a Fire, And Hay Became Holy, and All She Had as well as a contributing author for Rise Up. Find out more about her here.
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