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Hope With Open Eyes – The Formed Future · Still, Here

0:01
SPEAKER_00: This is still here.
0:04
SPEAKER_00: A quiet moment to remember what is true.
0:08
SPEAKER_00: Listen to these words from the book of Romans chapter 15 verse 13.
0:15
SPEAKER_00: Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing
0:20
SPEAKER_00: that you may abound in hope in the power of the Holy Spirit.
0:26
SPEAKER_00: Hope can sound naive when the soul is tired.
0:30
SPEAKER_00: When we have seen enough disappointment, cynicism can begin to feel more mature.
0:36
SPEAKER_00: Cynicism says I am just being realistic.
0:40
SPEAKER_00: I see what is happening.
0:42
SPEAKER_00: I know how people are.
0:44
SPEAKER_00: I am not going to be fooled again.
0:47
SPEAKER_00: And sometimes cynicism does begin with honest sight.
0:52
SPEAKER_00: It has noticed pain.
0:54
SPEAKER_00: It has noticed hypocrisy.
0:57
SPEAKER_00: It has noticed systems that are not working.
1:00
SPEAKER_00: People carrying too much.
1:03
SPEAKER_00: Work becoming unstable.
1:05
SPEAKER_00: Money becoming tighter.
1:07
SPEAKER_00: Institutions losing trust.
1:10
SPEAKER_00: And promises that did not hold.
1:13
SPEAKER_00: Cynicism may have reasons.
1:16
SPEAKER_00: But cynicism cannot heal what it sees.
1:20
SPEAKER_00: It can identify what is broken.
1:22
SPEAKER_00: It cannot grow life.
1:25
SPEAKER_00: It can protect us from disappointment for a while.
1:28
SPEAKER_00: But eventually,
1:29
SPEAKER_00: that protection also keeps out joy,
1:33
SPEAKER_00: peace, trust, and the ability to imagine that God is still at work.
1:40
SPEAKER_00: Paul does something interesting in the book of Romans.
1:43
SPEAKER_00: He calls God the God of hope.
1:46
SPEAKER_00: Hope begins there,
1:48
SPEAKER_00: not in our ability to predict that things will turn out the way we want,
1:53
SPEAKER_00: not in positive thinking or in pretending the hard thing is not hard.
1:59
SPEAKER_00: Hope begins in God.
2:02
SPEAKER_00: And God is not threatened by reality.
2:06
SPEAKER_00: He does not need us to close our eyes before He can give joy and peace.
2:12
SPEAKER_00: That is what I mean by hope with open eyes.
2:16
SPEAKER_00: It sees what is there.
2:18
SPEAKER_00: It names the concern honestly.
2:21
SPEAKER_00: And then it refuses to give despair the final word.
2:26
SPEAKER_00: This kind of hope can be quiet.
2:31
SPEAKER_00: It can say, I do not know how this resolves, but I know I am not alone in it.
2:40
SPEAKER_00: It can be grounded because it is rooted in God rather than favorable conditions.
2:47
SPEAKER_00: It can be bold because it keeps participating when despair says nothing matters.
2:53
SPEAKER_00: It can become public.
2:55
SPEAKER_00: A hopeful person becomes a sign to other people that fear and cynicism are not
3:01
SPEAKER_00: the only available responses.
3:04
SPEAKER_00: The pressure of the age often presents us with two choices.
3:09
SPEAKER_00: Deny what is happening or give up.
3:13
SPEAKER_00: Pretend everything is fine or admit everything is hopeless.
3:19
SPEAKER_00: Romans chapter 15 gives us another way.
3:23
SPEAKER_00: Joy and Peace in Believing.
3:26
SPEAKER_00: Hope Abounding Through the Power of the Holy Spirit.
3:30
SPEAKER_00: That means hope is not something you have to manufacture.
3:34
SPEAKER_00: The Spirit grows it in people who remain present and available to God.
3:40
SPEAKER_00: And that brings us to the end of this week's movement.
3:44
SPEAKER_00: We have named the thorns crowding the inner life.
3:48
SPEAKER_00: We have listened to fear without letting fear lead.
3:52
SPEAKER_00: We have slowed down enough to meet Christ in the present moment.
3:57
SPEAKER_00: We have refused to confuse outrage with righteousness.
4:01
SPEAKER_00: Now, we receive hope without closing our eyes.
4:06
SPEAKER_00: Fear, hurry, outrage, and despair do not get to decide who you become.
4:14
SPEAKER_00: You do not control the future.
4:16
SPEAKER_00: You do not have to.
4:18
SPEAKER_00: Your part is to remain present and available to the Spirit's leading.
4:23
SPEAKER_00: So, name one difficult reality today.
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SPEAKER_00: Say it plainly.
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SPEAKER_00: Do not minimize it.
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SPEAKER_00: Then pray Paul's prayer over that very thing.
4:34
SPEAKER_00: God of hope, fill me with joy and peace in believing.
4:39
SPEAKER_00: And take one hopeful action.
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SPEAKER_00: Encourage someone.
4:44
SPEAKER_00: Pray instead of scrolling.
4:47
SPEAKER_00: Take the faithful step in front of you.
4:50
SPEAKER_00: Rest without surrendering to despair.
4:53
SPEAKER_00: Do one thing that says I am still available to God.
4:58
SPEAKER_00: That is not denial.
5:00
SPEAKER_00: That is hope with open eyes.
5:04
SPEAKER_00: Take a moment for this prayer of presence.
5:08
SPEAKER_00: God of hope, meet me with open eyes.
5:12
SPEAKER_00: Do not let cynicism pass itself off as wisdom in me.
5:17
SPEAKER_00: Let me see what is real without surrendering to despair.
5:22
SPEAKER_00: Fill me with joy and peace in believing and let hope grow in me by the power of
5:27
SPEAKER_00: the Holy Spirit.
5:29
SPEAKER_00: Keep me present.
5:31
SPEAKER_00: Keep me available.
5:33
SPEAKER_00: Let my life become evidence that fear and despair do not have to decide what comes next.
5:41
SPEAKER_00: Amen.
5:44
SPEAKER_00: As you leave this quiet moment, carry this prayer with you.
5:50
SPEAKER_00: God of hope,
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SPEAKER_00: Keep Hope Alive in Me, God of Hope.
6:01
SPEAKER_00: Keep Hope Alive in Me, God of Hope.
6:09
SPEAKER_00: Keep Hope Alive in Me, God of Hope.
6:24
SPEAKER_00: If you would like to go deeper,
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SPEAKER_00: the written reflections and other resources are available
6:30
SPEAKER_00: at powerloveandmiracles.com Until next time, stay steady, stay open, stay present.
6:40
SPEAKER_00: You are still here.