by Barbara Latta
Paul dipped his quill into ink and scratched the words across parchment. Although he was a prisoner in Rome, he had been given his own rented house and the privilege of visitors. His heart rejoiced to hear about the faith of saints in other regions where churches had been started. His own son in the faith, Timothy, was the pastor of the church he was writing to in Ephesus.
Therefore, I also, after I heard of your faith in the
Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for
you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and
revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being
enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the
riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding
greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His
mighty power which He worked in Christ Jesus when He raised Him from the dead.
(Ephesians 1:15-20)
Paul didn’t pray for himself or for his release from prison.
He prayed for this body of believers to come to know Christ with more wisdom
and revelation.
Ephesus was a center for the worship of Diana, the goddess
of fertility. Prostitution was part of their ceremonies. Idol worship and Greek
philosophies were the norm. Some of the saints in this church had come out of
this culture.
Paul’s emphasis on obtaining eyes of understanding encouraged
these saints to look to their inheritance, not to the world around them.
They could know the hope of their calling. Their calling was to know the Father of glory.
Hope shows us we have a future. We see the riches of the
glory of His inheritance. While we do have treasures stored up for us in
heaven, we have an inheritance now. He gave us His great power to use to
overcome difficult circumstances of life. His power gives us hope.
While Paul knew that persecution was ahead of him in his
travels to share Christ with the then known world, he also experienced some
events he didn’t see coming. Yet he continued to thrive in hope.
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| Destination Hope #destinationhopebook |
Destination Hope is arranged into six chapters
called “Milepost Markers” that address losses, disappointments, or obstacles.
Each entry concludes with a “Rest Area” for personal reflection, response to
action, and/or opportunity to journal. A “Postcard” with a quote related to the
topic sends readers off with encouragement, as they travel toward their
destination of hope. An Appendix includes resources unique to various losses to
guide readers in their travel plans.
It's a tough topic many live out in real time, and Destination
Hope offers camaraderie, reality, and insight for women who say, “I
didn’t see this coming.” Destination Hope invites readers to link
arms in friendship with April and Marilyn who have traveled a road they didn’t
see ahead.
Readers will discover in practical and personal ways, they
can thrive, not merely survive. Hope can be their destination.
Destination Hope is available in print and
kindle format on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Christianbook.com
and available for pre-order now. Release date is September 28.
Last week we examined the prayer of Paul in Colossians and
saw that he had this same petition to God for the saint’s in this church to have spiritual eyes opened. As
our eyes are opened to the hope that is before us, we can know we have this
power within us.
Have you been hit hard by life? What gave you hope? Please share your thoughts and consider
Marilyn and April’s book. You will be blessed.
How to thrive in hope in a world of chaos. Find out more in Destination Hope book (click to tweet)
Find out more about Marilyn and April at their websites, http://marilynnutter.com/
and https://aprildawnwhite.com/
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| Marilyn Nutter |
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| April White |
Hope can never leave us when He is our anchor. Very well said my friend. Thank you! Great illustration; and thank you for introducing folks to this new book. How helpful it is for people whose lives need to find hope.
ReplyDeleteYes, J.D., this book will be a great resource for people who are struggling with trusting God and having hope. Thank you for sharing your encouraging words. Blessings!
DeleteIf anyone knew how to embrace hope in chaos, Paul did. May we thrive in the hope of Christ like him. Thank you for these scriptural reminders, Barbara, and for sharing Destination Hope.
ReplyDeleteOther than Jesus, I think Paul encountered more difficulty than anyone else. I'm sure the other disciples did too, we just don't have the written record of all of their experiences. But we know from their recollections of Christ's work that they were faithful in hope. Thanks for sharing, Jeannie. Blessings!
DeleteI just finished reading Destination Hope and am so blessed by the experience. In a season of grief, trial, hardship, or a challenge to oversome--we need HOPE. Destination Hope will help us find hope and faith. Thank you for sharing about this inspiring book.
ReplyDeleteWe do need hope when we go through these hard times, but we also need hope when life is not so bad. God gives us hope to show us we have a future with Him to look forward to. Thank you, Katherine, for sharing and for your encouraging words about the book. Blessings!
DeleteWe all need hope in these trying times, don't we? Destination Hope is such an encouraging book. I'm glad you're sharing it with others.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Tammy
I agree, Tammy, Destination Hope is an encouraging book, and I am happy to share it. Thanks for stopping by. Blessings!
DeleteWonderful review! Destination Hope is next on my list, and I'm looking forward to reading it
ReplyDeleteCandi, you won't be disappointed. Thanks for stopping by. Blessings!
DeletePaul's prison epistles inspire me. This book sounds like a message for our times.
ReplyDeletePaul is an inspiration to all of us. He was faithful throughout so much persecution. Thanks for sharing, Debbie. Blessings!
DeleteWe can so easily lose our hope--even in these days of remarkable comfort. You provide a much-needed message today.
ReplyDeleteNancy, yes it is hard to hold on to hope when we look to the things going on around us. But thankfully, we have a Savior who has overcome the world. Thanks for sharing. Blessings!
DeleteThanks for sharing about this book that share hope with the readers.
ReplyDeleteThanks, I am delighted to share about Destination Hope which will bless those who read it. Thanks for stopping by, Joanna. Blessings!
DeleteOne of my unexpected life changes was years ago when I experienced what the ENT initially diagnosed as sudden onset hearing loss. I was terrified of what it might mean but God helped me trust that He was in control and we would get through it. A book like Destination Hope will help so many others who find themselves in those situations. Thanks for helping spread the word.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing how you held on to hope, Leigh. And I agree with you that Destination Hope will help others find God's hope when up against difficult situations. Blessings!
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