Dear People Who Keep Company With God,
In the last couple of years of Bob Jones’ life, I heard him speak about hope more than anything else. Even on his death bed, the last word Bob Jones gave Becky and I, was about the future and hope God has for us.
We’ve walked through some really dark times and wondered if the future and hope that we believed for 
and dreamed about was lost. But God made a way. He literally made a way where there was no way. God made sure our future was secured.
Ironically, it was in those dark times, that the Holy Spirit began to reveal how to co-labor with Him in creating the future God intends for us.
This is some of what He showed me.
The future starts with God
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” (Rom. 15:13)
Everything starts with God. If there is supernatural hope in our hearts it is a hope that is founded on God. Hope is the birthplace of many, many kingdom virtues. That’s because we just let God take care of us and aren’t preoccupied with having to work so hard to take care of ourselves. If we don’t have His hope we will be overly consumed with taking care of ourselves. But, when we let God take care of our future, then we can be free to give ourselves more fully to God’s work in the earth.
Wisdom
Happy is the man who finds wisdom and gains understanding (Prov. 3:13).
We all would like to be happier. Happy people are assets in any organization or family, whether it be business, community, church or ministry.
A happy believer is a productive believer. A productive believer will expand the kingdom of heaven and brings glory to the Father (John 15:8).
My son, eat honey because it is good, and the honeycomb which is sweet to your taste; 14 So shall the knowledge of wisdom be to your soul; If you have found it, there is a prospect, and your hope will not be cut off (Prov. 24:13-14).
Wisdom will guide you into a hope-filled future.
The beauty of wisdom is we can get it by just asking for it (James 1:5).
Honor
The people of Nazareth, Jesus’ hometown, saw Jesus in the natural. They said of Him, “Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? And His sisters, are they not all with us?” (Matt. 13:55–56) They did not see Him as God in the flesh. In other words, they did not give Jesus the honor that was rightfully His.
As a result, He could not do many mighty works there. (Matt. 13:58)
When we honor God and each other, we will see God move. Our hearts will be filled with hope. Honor opens the door to spiritual blessings and success. Without honor, we will be greatly limited in what we will achieve in this life.
Thankfulness
In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thess. 5:18)
God does not ask us to be thankful for everything, but in everything, in every circumstances and situation of life we find ourselves. Why? Thankfulness helps us stay connected to the source of our life and purpose. We are the branches and Christ is our vine (John 15:5). Thankfulness is a practical way to abide in Christ.
Thankfulness helps us to continue seeing life from and through God’s perspective (Rom. 1:21).
When we are thankful we will never fall victim to the hopelessness of the world (Rom. 15:13).
Thankfulness is a mark of true humility, when we are thankful we are acknowledging that everything we have comes from God (John 11:41-44).
Many Blessings, BW