Having a wishful hope is a having a false hope.  We can hope that we will get richer, or that we'll get thinner.  This type of hope is not based on reality.  It's merely a fanciful dream of a preferred future.

Wishful thinking stems from the imaginations of your evil heart.  As Christians, we know that God's word is the only truth!  The dumbest thing you could ever do is follow your own heart.  We are all sinners, and the only difference between those who follow their own heart, is those that follow Jesus.

The good news about Jesus is that He offers hope beyond this life, beyond the grave.

I'll talk about 'certain hope' in tomorrow's blog.

The bottom line is this: Don't waste your time on wishful thinking. In the Bible, hope is not wishful thinking but a confident expectation.

Proverbs 21:2 – "Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord weighs the hearts."

Hope, as defined by the Webster dictionary is 'to cherish a desire with anticipation: to want something to happen or be true.' But did you know that there are different types of hope?

The first thing to remember is that hope is not the same thing as optimism. Optimism only works in things you can control. You can plant seeds in a garden in hopes of reaping flowers or vegetables in return. If you hadn't planted the seeds, then you would have no hope or wouldn't be expecting anything to bloom.

Biblical hope is knowing something is bad, or the circumstances are bad, but still believing and hoping that there is something better. Knowing that there is a better outcome than what we currently see.

I heard a pastor describe it this way. There are 3 types of hope. Wishful hope, expectant hope and certain hope.

I'll break these three types of hope down more in my next two blogs, but I wanted to leave you with this:

You can't have hope without faith and you can't have faith without Christian hope.

Hebrews 11:1 – "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

Peace is something everyone wants, yet few seem to find.  There are various types of peace, typically related to the actions and attitudes of individuals.

You will find some people who do not desire peace, but as a Christian, we should make every effort to do what leads to peace.  God will give His peace to those who trust Him.  What's the alternative?  Live in fear and worry?

Most people don't understand peace as a positive concept.  They imagine peace as the absence of trouble.  Others don't understand that Biblical peace is unrelated to circumstances.  It's a confidence, a trust that no matter the circumstances, I can be in peace.

It may not seem reasonable to you that such peace could exist in the midst of problems Christians go through.  This type of peace cannot be figured out on a human level.

Receive the peace that God offers today.  It will give you serenity in danger, a calm in trouble and freedom from anxiety.  Who wouldn't want that?

Philippians 4:7 – "And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Our desires in life is one of our motivational tools that gets us going in the morning.  If you act on your desires, these actions will convey to others what drives you to do what you do.

Our desires are looking for pleasure.  They're looking for something or someone that will fulfill our deepest needs.  Not all desires are good and helpful.  They may be pure and from the heart, or they could be sinfully twisted.

Which one are you?  If your desire is to please God, the creator of the universe, then you're in the same boat I'm in.  I wake up each day asking God, "what is it that you want me to do today that would please you?"  Some days that passion brings me unexpected blessings and unforeseen joys that can only come from God.

People on the outside will know that you love God based on your desires more than from any other Christian act.  We cannot fake our deepest desires.

Let God be the guiding force in your life. One of the greatest miracles of living a life for God is God giving us the desires of our heart.

Colossians 3:23 – "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,"

Our appetites often dictate the direction of our lives. If your stomach desires food, you fill it. Some desire possessions or power, they go after it. But what I’m referring to today is an appetite for for God. This hunger for God is the only thing that will bring victory in our lives. This is the only hunger that will bring complete and ultimate satisfaction.

If you’re desiring the things of the world, it will slowly eat away eat away at you. So much that there will be no room for God or anything as soul satisfying as God’s plan for your life.

Hunger is one of the basic needs of humankind. Have you ever noticed that when someone is physically ill, one of the first signs that something is wrong is that their appetite changed, or that they start losing weight dramatically.

An indicator that something is wrong spiritually is when we no longer have that hunger or thirst for God. We become complacent and stop looking to God for guidance, nourishment.

Physically, when we hunger for food, we generally fill that need pretty quickly. Hunger puts that desire to seek something to fill us up.

The next time you feel lost, depressed, unsure of how life’s going to turn out, open God’s word, the Bible, and I can assure you that your feelings will soon be replaced with joy, meaning and a purpose to seek more of God.

Matthew 5:6 - “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”

It's that time of year again.  Time for spring breaks, planning for summer vacations, etc.  Do you have your travel plans set?  Do you have your maps you'll need for the journey?

Just as it is with travel, we all need to make sure we have our road map of life ready for the trip.  That map is called the Bible.  Read it.  You might be surprised at how it tells us in detail how to live our lives and when to stay, and when to go.

We can make sense of our lives if we understand them as journeys, as the unfolding story of who we are and what we do in the world.

I've found that the more I think on Godly things and let God do all the planning, life is less stressful.  I let go more and let God be God.

Whatever the road ahead entails in our lives, know that God is in control.  Whatever task He calls us to do, He will equip us.

Let God guide your life today!

Psalm 91:11 – "For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;"

Have you ever experienced a loss in your life?  Maybe a loved one.  Maybe a spouse, a mom or dad, or even the loss of a child.  These are all painful experiences.  Some losses may be life-changing.

Grief follows this pain. Grief is a natural response to pain and loss.  Grief is good.  There's a time for grieving.  But unprocessed grief can be bad.  Learn to lean on God during these times.  He's our comforter, our shelter.

Express your grief to God.  God understands us.  He knows how He's going to work it all out for our good.  Trust Him with your grieving process.

Think about this:  Keep the good memories of your loved one, but don't allow the enemy to torment you with the grief of your loss.

God is bigger than our grief.  He's bigger than any sorrow, pain and every problem that any of us could face.  The pain will be overcome with the gain of God's love.

Psalm 34:18 – "The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”

When people meet you for the first time, or see you in a group setting, do they immediately think, "Oh I bet she/he's a Christian." Or do they look at you and your lifestyle and think, "hmmm….I'm not so sure she/he's a true Christian."

I would hope that people who meet me or get to know me find out quickly that I'm a Christian and that I stand on the Word of God. I pray my actions and character are true to God's word and His commands.

People that may have known me before I became a Christian might be a little skeptical at first. They may sit back and watch me, see what type of lifestyle I portray. If you're a true child of God, you will be changed in your personality, your talk, your overall demeanor.

Is your life characterized by love? If you obey God's word, your love for Him is truly made complete in you. This is how we know you are in Him: “Whoever claims to live in Him must live as Jesus did."

What does your lifestyle say about you? Are you conveying proof that your life is changed and that you are a Christian?

Ephesians 2:8-9 – "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast."