Waiting for Hope to Show up and Show up Big
Peeking through the curtain, I scanned the audience and hoped my entire family would show up.
I’d landed my first high-school role in the broadway musical, South Pacific. Thankfully, my character as the island girl, Liat, called for more speaking parts than singing—not my strong suit.
With sweaty palms and a rush of adrenaline, I checked the seats again.
And if my people show up, would I make them proud when I took my final bow?
From side stage during the first scene, my gaze spotted them through the blinding light. All my loved ones occupied the entire third row. They’re here, now break a leg.
Show up for Front-row Seats
I found my groove and remembered my few lines with no blunders. But my glory days as an actress ended soon after.
History also recounts a glory day when hope showed up…big.
Over 2000 years ago, God set the stage for a story of hope to unfold.
The birth of the Christ-child took place in a lowly stable where animals occupied the front-row seats.
Jesus grew and carried out the heavenly Father’s will. The supernatural happened in His presence. He served the community and reached out to wanderers, outcasts, and the wayward lost without hope.
Jesus' life, center stage, pointed the #glory and #applause to God alone. Share on X
Show up at the Tomb
Yet, an enemy, Satan, plotted to destroy God’s plans to bring hope to a hopeless people. Still, the Savior died on a cross for the sins of the world…my sins.
Jesus spilled His blood for me. Then His broken body lay in a borrowed tomb.
But the enemy and Jesus’ accusers barely celebrated before Christ’s followers began rejoicing.
Come and see! He is risen, just as He said!
Hallelujah! Hopeless never gets the last word. #hope #Jesus Share on XHope rose from the dead when Jesus Christ conquered the grave. Jesus fulfilled the expectation of eternity and heaven. He provided a way for us to become children of God and gain eternal life.
The resurrection—the day hope showed up and showed up big. Hope unveiled in amazing grace. The spotlight on God’s mercy freeing us from sin and shame.
So while we wait for hope to show up in our own lives, we remember this.
Whatever life throws at me, I remember the tomb is empty. #life #hope Share on XThrough Christ you have come to trust in God. And you have placed your faith and hope in God because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory.
(1 Peter 1:21 NLT)
Show up for Victory
When we accept God’s salvation, it transforms us to over-comers—more than conquerors—and raises us to new life and new hope in the name of Jesus.
Hope in #Jesus trumps all other #hope. Share on XYou see, the world’s hope lacks fanfare moments of glory—booed off stage with a less than desirable performance. And it leaves us in the dark when the last light dims.
Jesus Christ played the leading role in God’s story of hope. So He stands solo as the Holy King at hope’s curtain call. And His glory deserves the applause of angels and saints.
Show up for the Extraordinary
God desires to make a grand entrance in our life with show-stopping miracles of hope. And Jesus is saving us front-row seats.
Accept God’s invitation to the curtain call where our ordinary life becomes extraordinary with Jesus taking a bow.
Prayer:
God, I place my faith and trust in You. Thank You for hope in Your resurrection power and glory. Your hope trumps all other hope. Whatever life throws at me, I remember the tomb is empty. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
*I revised this post from one of the devotionals in my free ebook, 4 Ways Hope Changes Your Life Forever. Find out more about how hope changes your life by subscribing to this blog community, Hope is Among Us. Subscribe here to receive inspirational articles every Thursday by Girl Friday and download this free resource.
*Featured image and top image from an overlook in Southwest VA, my home town. Center image from Gatlinburg, TN. Photo text and design courtesy of Adobe Spark.
We celebrated Valentine’s Day yesterday. Finding true love is a picture of hope in God’s eternal love. Read my guest post over at Soaring with Him, A Grand Valentine Invitation From God. Are you a blogger? Link-up your blog post there, it’s active until Friday, 2/16, 9 AM.
Sometimes I participate in these link-ups: Kelly Balarie/Purposeful Faith, Patricia Holbrook/Soaring With Him, Meghan Weyerbacher/TeaandtheWord, Lyli Dunbar/#FaithOnFire & Crystal Storms/Heart Encouragement.
© 2018 by Karen Friday, All rights reserved
So glad His glory doesn’t end and shows up so big and so consistently. Thanks for this!
Me too, Bethany! Placing our faith and hope in God ushers in the victorious life in Jesus, giving Him all the glory. Thanks for commenting. Blessings!
What a wonderfully encouraging post!! I enjoyed reading every word! Loved this: “Jesus is saving us front-row seats. Accept God’s invitation to the curtain call where our ordinary life becomes extraordinary with Jesus taking a bow.” Life-giving words!
Becky, thank you. You’re so kind and encouraging! Yes, Jesus offers the extraordinary in every area of our lives. We can count on those show-stopping miracles of hope to take place in us…ordinary people. Appreciate you taking time to read and comment.
Oh, yes, Karen, Jesus is absolutely the never-ending star of the show! Love the analogies you’ve used here.
Blessings!
Amen, Martha. He is! The world’s hope lacks fanfare moments of glory—booed off stage with a less than desirable performance. And it leaves us in the dark when the last light dims. But Jesus…Jesus is the Holy King at hope’s curtain call. Thanks so much for commenting. Blessings!
I love that we get a front row seat!! <3
Me too, Marla! And at hope’s curtain call, our ordinary life becomes extraordinary with Jesus taking a bow. 🙂
Karen,
I’m encouraged. Whatever throws at me, I remember the tomb is EMPTY!
Yes, Beckie! Me too! So thankful hopeless didn’t get the last word on resurrection morning and doesn’t in our lives. Thanks for reading and commenting. Blessings!
What a breath of fresh air in a week that our nation needs hope, Karen! Sharing this on Pinterest and Twitter, friend. Blessings to you!
Thanks, Sarah. And I just finished leaving a comment on your blog. 🙂 Yes, we need real hope and it only comes from Jesus Christ. God desires to make a grand entrance in our life with show-stopping miracles of hope. And Jesus is saving us front-row seats. Blessings!
Praise God. I’m thankful that He is always there for each of us. He gives me Hope. Praying He wants me to continue to write and publish His inspired children’s books.
Jann, Amen! Hope is a noun and verb. Jesus is hope (n) and we hope (v) in Him. Hallelujah! Everything about hope is tied to Jesus Christ. And, yes, I’m sure your children’s books offer an underlying message of hope in God. So keep writing and publishing sister. We need your voice.
Hope changes everything!!!
Yes! Hope, Jesus himself, changes our life forever! Thanks for commenting. Blessings! 🙂
I am so blessed that I get to see how God brings hope to us everyday. I think back often to a time I was spiritually blind to all that He did and does to give us hope and it blows me away how I even ever had any hope at all to get through hard times without Him.
So true, Carmen. We are often blind to the hope of all hopes…Jesus himself. But w’re never far from hope. God brought hope near in His Son. Thanks for commenting.
Thank you for sharing this important wisdom and truth! I’m so thankful that we can rest our hope in Him and not have fear in this life. We have so much to look forward to and are abundantly blessed by the hope God gives us. Thank you again for this encouragement!
Brooke, appreciate you commenting and for your kind words. Yes, God’s hope brings us rest. Because of this. The resurrection—the day hope showed up and showed up big. Hope unveiled in amazing grace. The spotlight on God’s mercy freeing us from sin and shame. Once hope rose from the dead, it became ours for the taking. 🙂
Thank you – You have pointed me towards Easter. God certainly did show up. Amen!
Yes He did, Maree Dee. And God had plans for our hope all along…for Jesus to have the final word. I’m so grateful for hope in the cross and an empty tomb. Blessings! Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
Hi Karen,
I love the design of your website. It’s so clean and easy to navigate.
Yes, He is risen, for sure. His power is still the same here 2000 years after. I loved what you wrote here: “When we accept God’s salvation, it transforms us to over-comers.” He’s the one giving us hope to carry on.
God bless!
Edna Davidsen
Thank you, Edna. I appreciate you commenting on the blog design and my post. God’s hope makes us over-comers. In an uncertain world, there is an undeniable hope, an unshakable anchor for our soul. Blessings!
Hi Karen,
Thanks for the encouraging words. A lovely reminder that there is still hope for you and me regardless of our past. There is hope because the tomb is empty. Shared on Twitter.
Thank you, Shanique. Hard places in life dissolve every ounce of faith and hope. But so glad hope is never far away when we know Jesus.
“Hope rose from the dead when Jesus Christ conquered the grave.” So many today need to hear the message of hope in Christ. Amen and alleluia! What a great post! God bless!
Nancy, thank you. God desires to make a grand entrance in our life with show-stopping miracles of hope. And Jesus is saving us front-row seats. Exciting!
Hello Karen
Hope is such a small word when you compare it to the work it does.
Sometimes it has been the last gulp of air before the results of a step of faith.
For me, hope is trusting what He says and is my floaty in the wind and waves.
Encouraging post
So true, Tony. Love your thoughts on hope trusting in what God says. Grateful hope has more than one curtain call where Jesus takes a bow. Blessings!
Love this Karen 💕 Jesus definitely came down and put on a show for each of us…for all of us. Great analogy!
Thank you, Brittany. No matter what…we remember the tomb is empty. Now, that’s true hope.
Love this reminder that God shows up in big ways and small. I’m learning as I parent that my girls care about those small moments of me putting down my book or phone to pay attention just as much as when I show up for the big moments. Thanks for this encouragement!
Yes, Annie! I love your thoughts. We do need to show up in our family’s lives. So thankful when others don’t show up in our lives physically or emotionally, God still does. He is hope. Thanks for commenting!
Amen! This hope is not like the world hopes – but a sure and fixed thing. It is finished!
I need to anchor myself in that hope – how often I lose sight.
Christina, it is a hope that anchors our soul and life. There are many choices of hope out there, but nothing as secure and real and true as the hope who rose from the dead. Jesus = hope. 🙂 Thanks for commenting.
Love your point that God desires to make a grand entrance in our lives! It’s so important to remember that He’s not just “up there” doing His own thing. He desires to be known and loved by us, and He desires to show up big in our lives!
Thanks, Emily. And so true in God’s desire to enter our lives with show-stopping miracles of hope. Appreciate you commenting.
I am so thankful that God never fails to show up for us!
Me too. And He shows up in such a big way and with such big hope…like the world has never seen. Thanks for commenting, Hether.