David [00:00:01 – 00:00:56]
A few weeks ago, Conia and I were at a conference, and she’d gotten up early to get ready to go to the morning meeting, and she was getting in the shower. So I had a few more minutes before I had to get up and do the same thing. And as I dozed back off, all of a sudden, I was in heaven. And a gentleman walked up to me and said, david, I’m your great grandfather.
David [00:00:57 – 00:01:46]
And he said which side of the family he was on. And he said, I want to thank you for pursuing the call of God on your life. Because what you don’t know is that you’re actually fulfilling the vision God had given me. While I was in the earth pursuing the call of God on my life, I was, like, stunned. I was like, wow. As he finished talking to me, another gentleman walked up and he says, david, I’m your great great grandfather. And he was on the other side of the family, you know. And so he looked at me and said, thank you for pursuing the call of God on your life.
David [00:01:47 – 00:02:50]
He said, you’re creating a harvest of the seeds that I sowed. God had put a vision in my heart to touch the nations. And now you’re doing that easily with the technology you have today. And, wow, as I lay there thinking about that, it’s going over my mind. The Lord said to me, see, you’re not only impacting the world around you and the generations to come, like we talk about a lot. He goes, you’re actually impacting the generations that preceded you who were pursuing me and sowing seeds. And I went, wow, I’ve never thought of that, Lord. Is that possible? And it reminded me of Hebrews 11:13, where it said this.
David [00:02:51 – 00:03:45]
And we know Hebrews 11 is the hall of Faith chapter. That’s what’s been talking about all those people that we know of in scripture. Abraham, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob. And it says this in verse 13. These people all died, controlled and sustained by their faith, but not having received the tangible fulfillment of God’s promises, only having seen it and greeted it from a great distance by faith, and all the while acknowledging and confessing that they were strangers and temporary residents and exiles upon the earth. And again, that’s Hebrews 11:13. That’s from the Amplified Classic. As I sat there and thought about that, I went, wow.
David [00:03:47 – 00:05:12]
So what we have in our families is what I would call a generational influence. God has called us from generation to generation to pursue his passion, his dream, his purpose, his plan. Here in the earth. Then it goes on to say in Hebrews 11, 39 and 40, at the end of the chapter here after it lists another list of great men and women of faith. And all these, though they won divine approval by means of their faith, did not receive the fulfillment of what was promised because God had us in mind and had something better and greater in view for us. So that they, those heroes and heroines of faith, should not come to perfection apart from us before we could join them. Wow. We’re carrying on the anointing, the calling, the purpose of God from generation to generation.
David [00:05:13 – 00:06:32]
We are standing where our forefathers once stood and we’re marching out, calling out, walking out God’s plan and purpose here in the earth so that he is his kingdom can come here in the earth. As I got up that day thinking about this, I realized God’s purpose for us here on earth is greater than we can imagine. It’s bringing a harvest for all generations which have preceded us as we impact the generations to come. And they will carry this on also, while we don’t realize it. Our life here on earth means more than we can imagine and goes far beyond what we can see. You might be thinking, well, David, my family hasn’t always followed the Lord. We’ve had generations that weren’t godly at all or just didn’t do much. Well, you see that throughout scripture.
David [00:06:34 – 00:07:30]
You know, one king and the kingdom served God, and then the next generation, they didn’t. They fell away. They got distracted. But what matters is you are following the Lord and you are making a generational difference. The Lord gave me this other verse to go along with this, to help us see what we’re doing here in the earth. Isaiah 58:12, and this is from the Amplified classic, also says this, and your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt. You shall raise up the foundations of buildings that have laid waste for many generations. You shall be called the repairer of the breach, restorer of streets to dwell in.
David [00:07:33 – 00:08:34]
Wow. Wow. This is God’s heart for us today. Not only are we building for the future, we’re raising up what was and seeing God’s dream, His heart fulfilled here in the earth. As we passionately and purposefully pursue Him. God wants us to fulfill what he’s called forth from the beginning of time and what our ancestors were faithful to walk out. We also have the privilege and honor of continuing that blessing and walking out God’s purpose and plan today. And as I meditated on this, the Lord said to me this.
David [00:08:35 – 00:09:37]
He said, the reason I showed you this was. I want you to share this. Because the enemy is out there trying to rob you and others and ministry and organizations and people in general of their hope, their hope in me. Because if he can rob you of your hope, you’ll give up. Sister Nancy Dufresne says, this hopelessness robs us of the light of life God has for us. The enemy, every day is out there trying to take our hope, trying to rob us of life. I know you’re familiar with this verse, John 10:10. Jesus said, the enemy comes for one reason, to steal, to kill and destroy.
David [00:09:39 – 00:10:41]
Every day, the enemy’s out there trying to rob people of their hope. He wants them to end up in a hopeless state. And so when we understand that, we know that, wait a minute, God’s got a plan, and God wants us to succeed and win and see people come to him. Hopelessness is an emotional condition. It’s characterized by a lack of hope, expectation, or a lack of belief that things can improve or get better. Well, this is the best that is. This is all there is. It’s never going to be better than this.
David [00:10:42 – 00:12:24]
In fact, hopelessness can become so strong in you that it takes you to a place of despair or helplessness or a sense that your efforts are futile or even meaningless. Hopelessness can make you feel trapped, stuck, or overwhelmed by circumstances. Hopelessness can cloud your vision, so you struggle to see any positive future outcomes. The Enemy, very much today, is working to steal our hope because he knows if he can create that sense of hopelessness in us at any level, it will bring us to a place where we believe nothing will ever change. So what’s the point in trying? This leads to a lack of motivation, giving up on goals and responsibilities, and withdrawing from those around you. The deeper truth here is to recognize that hopelessness is not just an emotional struggle. It deeply affects a believer’s spiritual life and their relationship with God. It robs us of several critical truths and blessings that are foundational to our faith, to our ability to flourish in life.
David [00:12:25 – 00:13:22]
So I want us real quickly here to look at seven ways the enemy is trying to rob us of our hope. And then we’re going to look at seven ways to build our hope. And that’s what we’re talking about today, how to actively and consistently build our hope every day. So let’s look at this. The first way the enemy comes to rob us is our faith and trust. Hebrews 11:1 says, as you know now, faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hopelessness undermines our faith. And we know that faith and hope work together.
David [00:13:22 – 00:14:14]
They’re closely tied together. Paul said, now these three faith, hope, and love. And we know the greatest of these is love. But if you take faith and hope out of that mix, it even minimizes the way that we can walk in love. Hopelessness undermines faith. When hope is lost, trust in God’s promises weaken or fade. We can stop believing that God is working all things for our good. As Paul said in Romans 8:28, the enemy wants to rob you of your faith and your trust in the Lord.
David [00:14:17 – 00:15:37]
So when we sense that coming against us, we need to stand against Him. And we’re going to talk about how to do that in a moment. The second way the enemy comes is to rob us of joy and peace. Romans 15:13 says this now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him. Hopelessness steals joy and peace that comes from trusting in God. Without hope, our hearts become heavy and we can no longer rest in God’s presence or rejoice in his goodness. I can remember a time in ministry, early in my ministry when we got so busy, we were working so hard, we began to wonder, is this worth it? Is this working? That was the enemy trying to steal our hope from us, our joy, our peace. We never want to come to that place where we know longer.
David [00:15:37 – 00:16:31]
Wake up Declaring One of my favorite verses, Psalm 118:24, which is, this is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it. This is another message. But we could spend time on this. God wants us rejoicing in him every day, coming with joy and gladness every day and fellowshipping with him. And the enemy is doing all he can to keep you from that. The third way the enemy comes against us is by attacking our spiritual vision and purpose. Proverbs 29:18 says, where there is no vision, the people perish.
David [00:16:33 – 00:17:42]
Hope gives direction and clarity. Hopelessness clouds our vision and makes us feel like life has no purpose. It can cause us to abandon our calling, our ministry, or the dreams God has given us and placed in our heart. And guys, I’m sad to say this, but I don’t know how many times I’ve seen that very thing happen, that people reach a place of hopelessness and they just give up on their calling, on their ministry. Those dreams God has given them. And that is not God’s plan for you or his intention for you. You fourth way the enemy comes against us is by attacking our perseverance and endurance. Isaiah 40:31 says, but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
David [00:17:44 – 00:18:28]
Hope gives us strength to persevere, to press through. Without it, we become weary, spiritually tired, and prone to give up. When trials come, hopelessness can lead to spiritual passivity or apathy. We just go, huh? Whatever it is what it is. But God’s going, no, no, no. Stand up. Come on, let’s run this race together. The next way the enemy comes to rob us of our hope is by coming against our confidence in God’s promises.
David [00:18:28 – 00:19:57]
Hebrews 10:23 says, Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. Hopelessness makes God’s promises seem distant or irrelevant. It distorts our view of its faithfulness, leading us to doubt His Word and His character. Man when we begin to doubt His Word and its character, we’re on the edge of losing it all. Because without His Word, without hope in him and who he is and his faithfulness, what is there to life? The next way the enemy comes against us to steal our hope is by attacking our worship. That place of gratitude first. Thessalonians 5:18 in the Amplified classic says, thank God in everything, no matter what the circumstances may be, be thankful and give thanks. When we lose hope, we often lose the desire to praise God.
David [00:19:59 – 00:21:25]
You see, worship flows from a heart that believes God is good and is working in our lives even when we don’t see it yet we know he is faithful and he’s working for us. The enemy doesn’t want you to see that, and he doesn’t want you to believe that. Because if he can get you off of that place of intimacy with God where you’re coming in worship and gratitude, gratefulness, thanksgiving, he’s got a door to come in there and separate you from the one who loves you. And then the next way the enemy comes against us is by coming against our testimony and blessing. First. Peter 3:15 says, Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. If you are hopeless, your witness to others suffers. People are drawn to the light of hope in Christ, and when we lose that, we lose a powerful part, our testimony.
David [00:21:27 – 00:22:38]
Hopelessness robs us of our faith, our joy, our vision, our perseverance, our confidence in God, our worship and our witness. But Scripture time and time again reminds us that our hope is not based on circumstances or this world. It is rooted in the unchanging character of God and the finished work of Jesus Christ and all that he’s done in us. Hebrews 6:19 declares, we have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. Our hope is in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Overcoming hopelessness begins not with changing our circumstances. Jesus said, told the disciples, you’re going to have tribulation in this life. You’re going to have circumstances you don’t like.
David [00:22:39 – 00:23:35]
But then he says this, but rejoice. Rejoice in all that, for I have overcome the world. He’s already defeated and overcome it. He already has a way through it, a way out of it. By anchoring our hearts in the unchanging truth of God’s character, His promises, and spending time in his presence, we will be rooted and grounded in hope. So let’s look at seven ways we can build our hope. Romans 15:4. For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide, we might have hope.
David [00:23:36 – 00:24:21]
Our hope is found in the Word of God. That’s why the Lord told Joshua, don’t let it out of your sight. Don’t let it out of your mouth. Meditate on it day and night. Your hope is right here in my words. The Bible restores hope by reminding us of God’s faithfulness throughout history. Immersing ourselves in scripture renews our mind and shifts our focus from despair to God’s divine perspective. And guys, we need God’s divine perspective every day.
David [00:24:22 – 00:25:09]
What God showed me in that dream when I was in heaven and my grandfathers were coming and thanking me for following God’s call, he was giving me a divine perspective, his perspective. Not the world’s perspective, not anybody else’s, not the enemies. He was giving me his perspective. And he was saying, your life matters. You matter. The people you touch matter. So get into the Word and stay there. Immerse yourself in the Word every day.
David [00:25:09 – 00:25:49]
The second way is to fix your eyes on Jesus. Hebrews 12:2. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. When we focus on Christ rather than our problems, hope begins to rise in us. Jesus is our source of eternal hope. Unchanging, always present, already victorious. He has made us more than conquerors. Hallelujah.
David [00:25:52 – 00:26:27]
So let’s meditate on the life, the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And remember that he overcame the world. He defeated this enemy, Satan, the devil, who was trying to rob us of hope. Jesus defeated him. So our hope is in Jesus. The third way we build hope is to pray honestly and boldly. Psalm 62:8. Pour out your hearts before him.
David [00:26:28 – 00:27:23]
God is a refuge for us. Hallelujah. God invites us to pour out our hearts to him. Prayer is not about hiding how we feel, but surrendering how we feel to God. Even Jesus cried out in the garden of Gethsemane, God can handle your raw emotions. Turn your prayers from why God? To what are you teaching me in this moment, Lord? What are you wanting me to learn? What are you wanting me to see and to know? Focus on praying honestly and boldly. Come before that throne of grace, as Paul told us. Next, recall God’s faithfulness.
David [00:27:24 – 00:28:11]
Lamentations 3:21, 23 this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope. Because of the Lord’s great love, we are not consumed. Jeremiah wrote lamentations in a point when he was in deep despair. All things seemed hopeless. But hope was reborn in Jeremiah when he remembered God’s past mercy. Looking back on God’s goodness can fuel future faith. Make a list of the past times God came through for you, and then thank him. This is something Connie and I like to do.
David [00:28:12 – 00:28:44]
We encourage others to do this. Have your gratitude list and look at it. Sit there daily or weekly and write out, here’s everything God did this week. Here’s the prayers he answered. Here’s how he blessed us. Here’s how he helped us and how he strengthened us. And then go back and look at that. Next, stay connected to the body of Christ first.
David [00:28:44 – 00:29:42]
Thessalonians 5:11 says, encourage one another and build each other up. Guys, we’re here to offer encouragement to one another and to build one another up. Hopelessness tries to get you to isolate yourself. But the church, the Body of Christ, is designed to be a community of hope where we remind each other of the truth. We pray for one another and carry each other’s burdens. Don’t go it alone. Reach out to a trusted believer, friend, a pastor. Let others hold your arms up like Aaron and her did for Moses when they were fighting the battle.
David [00:29:42 – 00:30:30]
And as long as they held his arms up, they won the battle. I’m referencing Exodus 17:12 there, but that’s what we do for one another. One of my friends, Jackie Liston, he’s ministered here before. He likes the idea that we’re all linking arms. We’re linking arms and standing together and holding one another up. Next, declare God’s promises. Hebrews 10:23. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
David [00:30:31 – 00:30:59]
Hope is not wishful thinking. It’s not sit around wishing and waiting. It is active expectation. It is confidence in the faithfulness of God. So fill your mind and your mouth with his promises and declare them over your life. For example, Hebrews 13:5. You can say this to yourself every day. He will never leave me nor forsake me.
David [00:31:00 – 00:31:25]
God is with me. Jeremiah 29:11. The Lord knows the plans he has for me. He has plans for me, a hope and a future for me. Romans 8:28. All things work together for good to those who are called according to his purpose. And I am called, and he is working all things together for my good. Today.
David [00:31:26 – 00:32:04]
Get up and declare. Find those declarations, those confessions, and declare the word of God to yourself every day. And then wait on the Lord with expectation. Isaiah 40:31 says Isaiah 40:31. But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength again. Biblical hope is actively waiting. Not passivity. It’s trusting.
David [00:32:08 – 00:32:48]
It’s confident expectation. It means saying, God hasn’t finished yet. God is working. He’s working around me, within me, and for me. Hallelujah. And another thing you can do is spend time worshiping the Lord. Conia and I like to put on. We’ve got our playlist on Spotify, but we like to put on our worship playlist and just spend time worshiping the Lord.
David [00:32:51 – 00:33:53]
You don’t have to wait till you get to church. You don’t have to be in a service. You can worship God all day long right where you are. So we build hope by immersing ourselves in God’s word, fixing our eyes on Jesus, praying boldly and honestly, remembering God’s faithfulness, staying in community with our brothers and sisters in Christ, rehearsing the promises of God, declaring them and confessing them, and waiting expectantly on the Lord, hoping in the God of hope. Psalm 42:11 says this. Why my soul are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God. Scripture tells us the path of the righteous is to go grow brighter and brighter every day. Hallelujah.
David [00:33:54 – 00:35:05]
God has a way. My heart is to be moving with God all the days of my life and to fulfill that dream he has. That call he’s placed on my family that I can walk out what God has put on the generations that preceded and the generations that will come after me. Me, I’m laying a foundation. I’m building buildings, I’m restoring, a place to live, paths where we can dwell in together. God always has more and better for you. That’s one of Conia’s favorite statements. Don’t let the devil rob you of any season of your life by making you feel hopeless and not of any value anymore.
David [00:35:06 – 00:35:50]
I’ll say this again. Your life matters. It matters to the generations who’ve come before you, and it matters to the generations who will come after you. The plan of God for your life never expires. It’s never going to expire. Even when you transition from here on the earth to your heavenly home, your plan for you will not expire. God has a plan for you there. The Lord needs you here right now so heaven can flow through you.
David [00:35:51 – 00:36:21]
And he sees his kingdom come and his will done here in the earth. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Let’s bow our heads in prayer. Father, thank you for this insight. Thank you for giving us the insight to know that the enemy is trying to rob us of everything you’ve given us by taking our hope. And Lord, we determine and declare right now that we are going to focus on you, on your word.
David [00:36:22 – 00:36:56]
We’re going to worship you and pursue you. We’re going to build hope within us. We’re going to come with active expectation, confident expectation, unshakable expectation. And our hope is going to work with our faith. And we’re going to see your purpose and your plan come to pass, Lord, succeed. And we thank you for that. Thank you for being with us, empowering us. Hallelujah.
David [00:36:56 – 00:37:31]
Working in us and through us and for us. Thank you, Lord, so that we can get up every morning and say, this is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad. Hallelujah. So be it. Amen. God bless you. Go out with hopeful expectation and share the love of God, the joy of God, the goodness, and the gladness of God with somebody.
David [00:37:32 – 00:37:40]
This week, Pastor Conia is coming with a closing word and thought and a prayer. God bless you.
