Get Your Hopes Up by Joyce Meyer
Get Your Hopes Up by Joyce Meyer
Get Your Hopes Up by Joyce Meyer
HOPES UP!
Expect Something Good to
Happen to You Every Day
Joyce Meyer
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INTRODUCTION
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Introduction
For Esther, hope believed against all odds that God could use
her to save her people from destruction.
For the disciples, hope gave them courage to embark on a new
life and become world changers.
I believe hope can do those same things in your life. Thats why
Im excited youre reading this book. And thats why Im excited to
use the stories, biblical principles, and practical life lessons youll
find on each page to encourage you to go ahead and get your hopes
up! Do it on purpose...grab hold passionately and refuse to live
without hope!
You see, your whole life, whether you realize it or not, the world
has been telling you Dont get your hopes up. Past hurts, present disappointments, and future uncertainties all teach you to temper your
expectationsBe rational, stay calm, dont expect too much because
you may get disappointed.
The pregnancy test comes back positive...dont get your hopes up;
you remember what happened last time. The person who hurt you
apologizes and wants to make things right...dont get your hopes
up; he might hurt you again. An exciting opportunity opens up at
work...dont get your hopes up; it probably wont pan out.
But a life with no hope isnt much of a life at all. You may say youre
just being c arefulBetter safe than sorry, Joycebut youre really
just afraid. Afraid of getting hurt, afraid of being disappointed, afraid
of taking a chance. The fear may exist for good reason. Perhaps you
have been severely hurt in life and experienced many discouraging
and disappointing things. Experience tells you that nothing is ever
going to change, but Gods Word tells us something better. It says
that all things are possible with God!
It is time for a change in your life! Trust God enough to hope for
the best: the best relationship, the best opportunity, the best marriage, the best news, the best outcome, the best life. Expect something good to happen to you today!
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God wants you to have the best life possible. If you ever doubt
thats true, just remember that He gave His best when He sent Jesus.
Jesus died so that, if you accept His gift of salvation, you could enjoy
eternity in Heaven; but He also died so you could enjoy a good life
here on Earth.
In John 10:10, Jesus said, I came that they may have and enjoy
life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).
As you go through this book, I hope youll see that God wants you
to have and enjoy life. He wants the best for you spiritually, mentally, emotionally, relationally, and p
hysicallyevery year, every
day, every moment. And when you know that God wants the best
for you, you cant help but be filled with hope. God wants to meet all
your needs and enable you to help other people.
So, if youre hurting today, doubting if things will ever get
better...get your hopes up.
If youre just getting by in life, going through the
motions but asking if there is anything more...get your
hopes up.
If youre raising children, wondering what life has in
store for them...get your hopes up.
If youre starting out on an exciting new adventure,
risking more than youve ever risked before...get your
hopes up.
When you dare to get your hopes up, things will begin to change
in your life. Faith increases, joy returns, and peace reigns. So if
youre satisfied to settle for barely getting by, this is as good as it gets,
or better luck next time, you should probably put this book down
now.
But if youre ready for a c hangeif youre ready for something
betterkeep reading. Hope has a way of beautifully transforming
the lives of all who embrace it. Its the catalyst that sparks ideas
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Introduction
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SECTION I
HOPE TO GO HIGHER
...But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles...
Isaiah 40:31 (NIV)
Quite often people feel that it would be greedy or wrong to hope for
more than they have. While it is true that we should always be content and satisfied with what we have, that certainly doesnt mean
that desiring more of the right things is wrong as long as we desire
them for the right reasons. How can we be content and yet want
more at the same time? I am very content right now with everything
in my life because I believe Gods timing in my life is perfect. I could
be quite happy and never have more of anything because my joy
and contentment are in Christ. Yet, at the same time, I want more of
everything because I want to go as far in life as God allows and do
as much for Him and others as humanly possible. I want no more
and no less than the best life God wants to give me!
I want more of God in my life, a closer, more intimate walk with
Him (see Philippians 3:10). I want more wisdom, more stability, and
more good friends. I want more for my children, and I want more
people to accept Christ as their Savior. I want to see more miracles,
healing, breakthroughs, and power.
I sincerely believe that we can be satisfied to the point where we
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G E T YO U R H O P E S U P !
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CHAPTER
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G E T YO U R H O P E S U P !
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G E T YO U R H O P E S U P !
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we go again, this will never work out, I shouldve known things would go
sour, and Ive got a bad feeling about this?
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G E T YO U R H O P E S U P !
If you think about it, Bartimaeus had every reason to expect the
worst. He was a blind beggar who sat by the roadside every day,
trying to survive on spare change. He was living a very difficult
life, and if anybody was going to tone down his level of expectation, you would think it would be Bartimaeus. He could have
thought This is useless. It wont work. Nothings going to change. Jesus
probably wont even notice me. Why get my hopes up? No one would
have blamed him.
But Bartimaeus dared to hope for something greater in life. He
started to think about what might happen instead of what might not
happen. There was nothing toned down about his level of expectation as he began to shout with all of his might, Jesus, Son of David,
have pity and mercy on me [now]! Can you hear the insistence in
his voice? Its as if Bartimaeus had decided there was absolutely no
way he was going to miss this chance. Even though many in the
crowd censured and reproved him, telling him to keep still (see
Mark 10:48), Bartimaeus would not be quieted. He shouted louder
and louder until Jesus stopped and called for him.
Here is one of the most amazing parts of this story: When Bartimaeus was brought to Jesus, the Lord asked him an almost unthinkable question. In verse 51, Jesus said to this blind beggar, What do
you want Me to do for you?
That seems like a strange question, doesnt it? The disciples may
have been thinking What do you want me to do for you? Lord, isnt
it obvious? The man is blind. How can You ask him that? But Jesus was
asking something d
eeperHe was asking Bartimaeus: What are you
expecting? Are you only expecting a meal? Are you wanting someone
to lead you around by the hand? Are you merely expecting a handout?
All of those things were certainly things Bartimaeus needed, and if
he was living with little faith, he may have settled for one of those
things.
But Bartimaeus had a greater level of expectation. When Jesus
asked, What do you want Me to do for you? Bartimaeus didnt
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G E T YO U R H O P E S U P !
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your life, go ahead and ask God to meet those needs. Share
your dreams with Him. Just as Jesus asked Bartimaeus,
What do you want Me to do for you? He is asking you the
same question. Be bold enough to ask the Lord to do something only He can do. Obviously, we should all want Gods
will and trust that if what we are asking for isnt right for us,
God wont give it to us but instead He will give us something
better.
3. Look.
As you go through each day, expect that God is answering
your prayer, meeting your need, and fulfilling your G
od-given
dream. Even if you havent seen the manifestation of what
you desire yet, or if it has not happened in the way you hoped
it would, that doesnt mean God isnt working. Continue to
have an expectant attitude, and be sure to notice everything
God is doing. Be thankful for those things while you are waiting for the thing you desire or need now.
Whatever youre hoping for todaya deeper walk with
God, a better understanding of Gods Word, a stronger marriage, a financial breakthrough, a chance to go back to school,
a ministry opportunity, a fresh startif its in your heart (and
if it lines up with the Word of God), believe, ask, expect, and
look.
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G E T YO U R H O P E S U P !
Your expectations change you. They cause you to be able to wait for
a change in your circumstances with a happy attitude. They cause
you to be a bold, confident, joy-filled believer who trusts that God
has a great plan for your life.
Heres a simple story I came across that demonstrates the joy
that comes with great expectations:
There were once identical twins. They were alike in every
way but one. One was a h
ope-filled optimist who only
saw the bright side of life in every situation. The other
was a dark pessimist who only saw the downside of every
situation.
The parents were so worried about the extremes of
optimism and pessimism in their boys that they took
them to the doctor. The doctor suggested a plan. On
their next birthday, he said, give the pessimist a shiny
new bike, but give the optimist only a pile of manure.
It seemed a fairly extreme thing to do. After all, the
parents had always treated their boys equally. But in this
instance they decided to try the doctors advice. So when
the twins birthday came around, the parents gave the
pessimist the most expensive, topofthe-line racing bike
a child has ever owned. When he saw the bike, his first
words were Ill probably crash and break my leg.
To the optimist, they gave a carefully wrapped box of
manure. He opened it, looked puzzled for a moment, then
ran outside screaming You cant fool me! Where theres
this much manure, theres gotta be a pony around here
somewhere!1
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