The promises of God should ignite hope in our hearts. When you hold on to hope, your faith will bring you closer to the promise!
>> VICTORIA OSTEEN: I WANT TO
ENCOURAGE US ALL TODAY.
I WANT TO CHALLENGE US IN A
WAY TO THINK ABOUT THIS WORD
THAT WE HEAR SO MUCH OF NOW
CALLED HOPE.
ARE YOU HOPING FOR ANYTHING
TODAY?
MAYBE YOU’RE HOPING FOR A
BETTER MARRIAGE.
MAYBE YOU’RE HOPING FOR A
STRONG FAMILY UNIT.
MAYBE YOU’RE HOPING TO GET
THAT JOB PROMOTION.
MAYBE YOU’RE HOPING THAT
YOU’LL HAVE A CHILD.
WHAT ARE YOU HOPING FOR
TODAY?
IS IT A CASUAL HOPE?
IS IT A VAGUE HOPE?
AND THE REASON I SAY THAT IS
BECAUSE SOMETIMES I THINK
THAT WORD “HOPE” HAS BEEN
USED SO MUCH THAT WE FORGET
THE POWER OF HOPE.
I’VE HEARD PEOPLE SAY, “WELL,
I HOPE THAT HAPPENS.
YEAH, WELL, THAT’D BE NICE,
HOPE SO.”
HOPE COMES FROM HEAVEN.
IT’S HEAVEN-MADE.
SEE, IN CORINTHIANS 3:13, IT
SAYS THERE’S THREE THINGS
THAT ARE ETERNAL, THREE
THINGS THAT WILL REMAIN:
FAITH, HOPE, AND LOVE.
CAN I TELL YOU TODAY THAT GOD
WANTS YOU TO GET YOUR HOPES
UP?
HE WANTS YOU TO HOPE ON IN
FAITH.
BECAUSE GOD CREATED THIS HOPE
ON THE INSIDE OF US, AND HE
DOESN’T WANT US TO GET VAGUE
WITH THIS HOPE.
IF GOD HAS SPOKEN SOMETHING
TO YOU, IF YOU’VE FOUND A
PROMISE THAT YOU BELIEVE THAT
GOD HAS GIVEN YOU, I WANT TO
ENCOURAGE YOU TODAY TO PUT
HOPE IN FRONT OF THAT
PROMISE.
SEE, HOPE CREATES VISION.
HOPE GIVES OUR FAITH
SOMETHING TO ATTACH ITSELF
TO, SOMETHING TO GO AFTER.
WE NEED A PICTURE OF WHAT
WE’RE GOING AFTER.
THE SCRIPTURE SAYS THAT FAITH
IS THE SUBSTANCE OF THINGS
HOPED FOR.
DO YOU HAVE A PICTURE IN YOUR
MIND OF WHAT YOU’RE HOPING
FOR?
ARE YOU FEEDING THAT PICTURE?
ARE YOU FUELING IT SO THAT
YOUR FAITH CAN MOVE TOWARDS
IT?
SEE, I BELIEVE GOD DESIGNED
HOPE BECAUSE HE KNOWS THAT
HOPE FUELS OUR FAITH.
HE KNOWS THAT HOPE PICKS US
UP.
THE SCRIPTURE SAYS HOPE
ANCHORS OUR SOUL.
IT ANCHORS US IN
DISAPPOINTING TIMES, IN
CHALLENGING TIMES, IN TIMES
OF FAILURE.
IF WE CAN ONLY KEEP OUR HOPES
UP, FAITH WILL PICK US UP AND
MOVE US IN THE RIGHT
DIRECTION.
SEE, GOD DOES THE WORK.
FAITH, HOPE, AND LOVE COME
FROM HIM, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT
HE WANTS US TO DO?
HE WANTS US TO DEVELOP IT.
HE’S GIVEN US THE POTENTIAL,
THE SEED FOR IT.
NOW HE’S SAYING, “YOU NEED TO
DEVELOP IT.”
YOU NEED TO DEVELOP IT.
IT’S INTERESTING BECAUSE WHEN
PAUL PRAYED IN ROMANS 18, HE
SAID, “I PRAY THAT THE GOD OF
ALL HOPE.”
PAUL CALLED HIM THE GOD OF
ALL HOPE.
HE SAID, “I PRAY THAT THE GOD
OF ALL HOPE WOULD FILL YOU
WITH JOY AND PEACE SO THAT
YOUR HOPE WOULD OVERFLOW BY
THE POWER OF THE HOLY
SPIRIT.”
YOU SEE, GOD IS SAYING, “STIR
UP THAT HOPE AND IT WILL FLOW
OUT OF YOU.”
IT WILL FLOW OUT OF YOU
BECAUSE HOPE COMES FROM
HEAVEN.
GOD GAVE IT TO US, AND HE’S
GOING TO HELP IT FLOW OUT OF
US AS WE BEGIN TO DEVELOP IT.
NOW, WE ALL KNOW THE STORY OF
ABRAHAM AND SARAH, AND THE
REASON I WANT TO TALK ABOUT
ABRAHAM AND SARAH, BECAUSE
IT’S THE CLASSIC STORY OF
HOPE AND FAITH.
IT’S THE CLASSIC STORY THAT
WE SHOULD ALWAYS LEARN FROM.
GOD SPOKE A PROMISE TO
ABRAHAM.
ABRAHAM DIDN’T HAVE THE
BIBLE.
HE COULDN’T GET GOD’S WORD,
SO GOD SPOKE A PROMISE TO
HIM, BIRTHED A PROMISE IN HIS
HEART, AND THEN GOD TOLD
ABRAHAM, “I’M GOING TO GIVE
YOU A BEAUTIFUL–A
REPRESENTATION TO VISUALIZE
HOPE FOR THIS PROMISE.”
NOW, THE PROMISE THAT HE
SPOKE WAS THIS, “ABRAHAM, YOU
AND SARAH ARE GOING TO HAVE A
CHILD, AND THROUGH THIS
CHILD, THE COVENANT CHILD,
YOUR OFFSPRING WILL BE MANY.
YOU WILL HAVE A LARGE
INHERITANCE OF CHILDREN ON
THE EARTH.”
WELL, UP TO THIS POINT,
ABRAHAM AND SARAH HAD NO
CHILDREN BETWEEN THEM.
THEY’D BEEN MARRIED A LONG
TIME, AND YOU KNOW WHAT?
I THINK AFTER YOU’VE BEEN
MARRIED SO LONG AND YOU
HADN’T HAD ANY CHILDREN AND
YOU’RE REALLY OLD, YOU’RE
THINKING AND YOU’RE TEMPTED
TO THINK, AND I’M SURE
ABRAHAM WAS TEMPTED TO THINK
AND I’M SURE HE DID THINK,
“GOD, I HAVEN’T HAD ONE THIS
FAR.
WHY AND HOW AM I GOING TO
HAVE ONE NOW?
I’M VERY OLD, MY WIFE IS WAY
PAST CHILDBEARING YEARS.”
BUT GOD SPOKE THAT PROMISE
AND HE SAID, “LOOK, ABRAHAM,
I WANT YOU TO LOOK UP AT THE
STARS IN THE SKY.
I WANT YOU TO SEE THE SAND ON
THE SEASHORE.”
HE SAID, “IF YOU CAN EVEN
COUNT THAT, I WANT YOU TO
KNOW THAT THAT IS THE NUMBER
OF YOUR OFFSPRING.
CAN YOU EVEN COUNT THAT?”
SEE, HE GAVE HIM A VISUAL TO
BUILD HIS HOPE AROUND.
I CAN ONLY IMAGINE HIM
SITTING OUT AT NIGHT, HE
PULLS UP HIS LAWN CHAIR.
HE DIDN’T HAVE NETFLIX,
DIDN’T HAVE, YOU KNOW, THE
MOVIE CHANNEL.
SO, HE PULLS UP HIS CHAIR AND
HE’S SITTING UNDER THE STARS,
AND HE’S REMEMBERING THAT
PROMISE, AND YOU KNOW, HE
KNOWS, HE KNOWS, HE KNOWS
HE’S OLD.
HE KNOWS HE HASN’T DONE IT.
SO, HE’S GOT A BEAUTIFUL
VISUAL.
“THERE’S THE STARS GOD WAS
TALKING TO ME ABOUT.”
HE SAID, “IF I COULD EVEN
COUNT THEM, MAN, I’M GOING TO
TRY TO COUNT THEM TONIGHT.
ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR–WAIT,
DID I COUNT THAT ONE?
THREE, FOUR, FIVE.
WAIT A MINUTE, LET ME START
OVER.
ONE, TWO, THREE–“
YOU KNOW WHAT I’M SAYING IS
NIGHT AFTER NIGHT, HE
PONDERED THOSE STARS, HE
THOUGHT ABOUT THOSE STARS.
HE WALKED ALONG THE SEASHORE,
AND AS HE KICKED THAT SAND
AND IT GOT BETWEEN HIS TOES,
HE WAS LIKE, “WOW, GOD, I’M
HOLDING ON TO THIS HOPE.
THIS IS MY INHERITANCE?
THIS IS MY OFFSPRING?
BUT GOD–OKAY GOD, I’M JUST
GOING TO FOCUS ON THE STARS
AND THE SAND.
I’M GOING TO LET THAT FUEL MY
FAITH AND I’M NOT GOING TO
GET STUCK, GOD.
I GOT THINGS TO DO, I’M GOING
TO KEEP MOVING FORWARD,” AND
THE BIBLE SAYS THIS, THAT
ABRAHAM HOPED ON IN FAITH.
NOW, HOW DID HE DO THAT?
I LOVE THIS SCRIPTURE.
IT SAYS, “BECAUSE HE BELIEVED
THAT GOD HAD THE POWER TO DO
WHAT HE PROMISED.”
HE COULD HOPE ON AGAINST ALL
NATURAL HOPE BECAUSE HE
DIDN’T PUT THAT HOPE IN
HIMSELF.
HE DIDN’T LOOK AT HIS BODY,
SARAH’S BODY.
HE DIDN’T LOOK AT THE FACT
THAT HE’D MADE SOME MISTAKES
AND TRIED TO HAVE THIS CHILD,
YOU KNOW, HELP GOD OUT A
LITTLE BIT.
GOSH, YOU KNOW, THAT CAN
REALLY DASH YOUR HOPES WHEN
YOU MESSED UP.
HE WASN’T LOOKING AT HIS MESS
UPS.
HE WAS NOT CONSIDERING HIS
OWN LIMITATIONS.
HE SAID, “I’M HOPING AND
BUILDING THIS VISUAL AND
KEEPING MY EYES FIXED ON YOUR
POWER, GOD.”
YOU SEE, IT TOOK THE POWER
AND THE FOCUS OFF OF HIM AND
PUT IT WHERE IT BELONGS, ON
ALMIGHTY GOD.
YOU SEE, SO MUCH WE LOOK AT
OUR OWN ABILITIES, WE LOOK AT
OUR OWN SELF, WE LOOK AT THE
IMPOSSIBILITIES, AND MANY OF
THEM ARE IMPOSSIBLE, BECAUSE
SEE, IF GOD WANTS TO DO
SOMETHING IN YOUR LIFE, IT’S
GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT
YOU CAN’T DO ON YOUR OWN.
IT IS IMPOSSIBLE.
IT’S BIG.
IT’S REAL BIG.
YOU SEE, WE HAVE TO ANCHOR
OURSELF TO HOPE.
WE HAVE TO FEED THIS HOPE SO
IT FUELS OUR FAITH.
DO YOU KNOW WHEN GOD SHOWED
UP AND HE TOLD ABRAHAM, “THIS
TIME NEXT YEAR, YOU’RE GOING
TO HAVE A CHILD”?
BECAUSE OF HIS HOPE, BECAUSE
OF THE FAITH THAT HE HAD
CONTINUED TO GENERATE, HE
CONTINUED TO MOVE FORWARD, DO
YOU KNOW THAT THE BIBLE SAYS
THIS ABOUT SARAH?
IT SAYS THAT SARAH HAD THE
STRENGTH AND THE POWER TO
CONCEIVE BECAUSE OF HER
FAITH.
YOU MIGHT NOT WANT TO
CONCEIVE A CHILD, BUT BECAUSE
OF YOUR HOPE AND BECAUSE OF
YOUR FAITH, YOU CAN CONCEIVE
THE THINGS THAT GOD WANTS YOU
TO BRING FORTH IN YOUR LIFE,
AND HE WANTS YOU TO DO IT
THROUGH HIS STRENGTH, THROUGH
HIS POWER.
TAKE YOUR EYES OFF OF YOUR
OWN LIMITATIONS AND GET YOUR
EYES ON GOD BECAUSE IF IT’S
GOING TO COME TO PASS, IT’S
GOING TO COME TO PASS BECAUSE
OF GOD.
HE’S THE ONE THAT’S GOING TO
BRING IT TO PASS.
YOU SEE, GOD KNEW, GOD KNEW
HE HAD AN APPOINTED TIME.
HE KNEW THAT ABRAHAM AND
SARAH WOULD GET DISAPPOINTED,
GO THROUGH DIFFICULTIES, TRY
TO DO THINGS THEIR OWN WAY.
THAT’S WHY HE GAVE THEM THE
STARS AND THE SAND.
IT’S INTERESTING BECAUSE
THOSE WERE THINGS THEY COULD
SEE EVERY SINGLE DAY.
THEY LIVED UNDER THE STARS AT
NIGHT, AND THEY WALKED
THROUGH THE SANDS DURING THE
DAY.
IT WAS AN EVERYDAY VISUAL.
DO YOU HAVE ANY VISUALS?
DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING THAT
YOU CAN SET UP THAT YOU SEE
EVERY SINGLE DAY TO KEEP THAT
PROMISE ALIVE IN YOUR HEART?
TO CREATE A VISION SO YOU CAN
MAKE IT THROUGH THE DIFFICULT
TIMES?
SO YOUR FAITH KNOWS WHERE TO
GO, KNOWS WHERE TO BE
DIRECTED?
YOU SEE, MANY A TIMES OUR
HOPES CAN BE DASHED.
I THINK ABOUT JOSEPH, HE HAD
A DREAM, A GOD-GIVEN DREAM.
HIS BROTHERS DASHED THAT
DREAM.
THEY TRIED TO ANYWAY.
THEY SOLD HIM.
POTIPHAR’S WIFE, WHEN
HE–WHEN HE GOT TO EGYPT,
FALSELY ACCUSED HIM, HE GOT
THROWN IN PRISON.
“BUT I HAVE THIS DREAM, BUT I
HAVE THIS DREAM.”
TOOK HIM 17 YEARS.
THE BAKER, THE CUPBEARER
SAID, “I’LL HELP YOU WHEN I
GET OUT.”
THEY FORGOT HIM.
I CAN’T THINK OF ANY MORE
THINGS THAT WOULD REALLY DASH
MY DREAMS THAN THAT.
SEVENTEEN YEARS THE SCRIPTURE
SAYS.
WHEN HE STOOD IN FRONT OF HIS
BROTHERS, HE REMEMBERED THE
DREAM.
SEE, HE HAD BUILT SUCH A
VISION OF HOPE THAT IT GOT
HIM THROUGH.
HIS FAITH MOVED HIM FORWARD.
HOPE IS TO MOVE YOU FORWARD.
HOPE SO YOU WON’T GET STUCK.
DON’T GET STUCK.
CREATE A–PEOPLE SAY, “OH,
HOPE, HOPE DISAPPOINTS.
DON’T GET YOUR HOPES UP.
WHAT IF IT DOESN’T HAPPEN?”
THE BIBLE SAYS THIS, “HOPE
DEFERRED MAKES THE HEART
SICK.”
HOPE DEFERRED MAKES THE HEART
SICK.
THAT MEANS HOPE THAT’S BEEN
LET GO OF.
YOU SEE, LET ME TELL YOU
SOMETHING, IF GOD’S SPOKEN
SOMETHING TO YOU AND IT KEEPS
COMING UP, KEEPS COMING UP,
AND KEEPS COMING UP, THAT
COULD DEFINITELY BE A GOD
PROMISE, AND YOU NEED TO
START GETTING VISUALS AND
PUTTING THAT IN FRONT OF YOUR
FACE EVERY DAY WHEREVER YOU
GO TO HOLD ONTO THAT PROMISE.
DON’T LET THAT HOPE GO.
YOU DON’T WANT TO EVER LIVE
IN REGRET.
“WHY DID I LET THAT HOPE
GO?”
MY BROTHER-IN-LAW KEVIN AND
MY SISTER-IN-LAW LISA, WHEN
THEY GOT MARRIED, THEY WANTED
TO HAVE A CHILD LIKE ANY
YOUNG COUPLE WOULD.
SO, THEY WERE ALL EXCITED
ABOUT CREATING A FAMILY.
WELL, AS THE YEARS WENT ON,
NOTHING HAPPENED.
LISA WENT TO THE DOCTOR, WENT
THROUGH TREATMENTS, DID
EVERYTHING THAT SHE COULD.
STILL NOTHING HAPPENED.
FIVE YEARS WENT BY, NOTHING
HAPPENED.
THE DOCTORS HAD SAID TO HER,
“I’M SORRY, LISA, KEVIN, YOU
JUST NEED TO GIVE UP HOPE.
YOU KNOW WHAT?
IT’S IMPOSSIBLE.”
WELL, SEE, LISA AND KEVIN
WERE TAUGHT THAT HOPE FUELS
YOUR FAITH.
LISA AND KEVIN SAID, “THAT’S
NOT WHAT WE’RE USED TO
HEARING.
WE’RE USED TO CREATING HOPE
FOR OURSELVES.
THAT’S WHY WE’VE GOT
SCRIPTURES.
THAT’S WHY WE’VE GOT
PICTURES.
THAT’S WHY WE’VE CREATED THIS
HOPE.”
BUT THE DOCTOR SAID, “THERE’S
NO HOPE.”
I’LL NEVER FORGET, ONE TIME
LISA AND KEVIN WERE HAVING TO
REDO THEIR BATHROOM, AND I
WAS HELPING HER PICK OUT A
FEW OF THE MATERIALS, AND SHE
SAID, “WELL, VICTORIA, I WANT
TO GET A BIGGER SINK IN MY
BATHROOM.”
SHE GOES, “‘CAUSE SOMEDAY, I
WANT TO BATHE MY BABY IN THIS
SINK.”
KEVIN GOT A SAMPLE PAIR OF
DIAPERS IN THE MAIL, LOOKED
AT THOSE DIAPERS, AND HE
OPENED THEM UP AND IT WAS TWO
DIAPERS.
NOW, KEVIN IS A TWIN, AND I
DON’T KNOW IF AT THAT TIME HE
HAD TOLD LISA THAT HIS DESIRE
WAS TO HAVE TWINS BECAUSE, I
MEAN, SHE WAS JUST DOING HER
BEST TRYING TO HAVE ONE,
RIGHT?
BUT KEVIN CAME TO HER AND
SAID, “LOOK WHAT WE GOT IN
THE MAIL, LISA.
LET’S PUT THESE THINGS IN
FRONT OF OUR EYES BECAUSE WE
ARE GOING TO HAVE BABIES.”
EVERYTHING THAT THEY DID WAS
INCORPORATED WITH THIS DREAM
AND THIS HOPE OF HAVING
CHILDREN.
THEY DIDN’T LOSE THEIR HOPE,
BUT THEY KEPT FEEDING THAT
HOPE.
AGAINST ALL HOPE, THE MEDICAL
DOCTORS TOLD THEM NO HOPE,
BUT THEY KEPT FEEDING THAT
HOPE.
ONE DAY, LISA GOT A CALL FROM
A FRIEND, HER NAME IS NANCY
ALCORN, SHE HAS A GIRL’S
HOME.
SHE SAID, “LISA, HAVE YOU HAD
YOUR KID YET?”
LISA SAID, “NO, I HAVEN’T HAD
THEM YET,” AND SHE SAID,
“WELL, LISA, I HAVE A YOUNG
GIRL IN HERE WHO HAS TWIN
GIRLS SHE’S ABOUT TO GIVE
BIRTH TO.”
SHE SAID, “I HAVE THIS
STRONG, STRONG DESIRE THAT
I’M SUPPOSED TO CALL YOU AND
ASK YOU IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO
ADOPT THESE GIRLS.”
WELL, LISA HAD NEVER THOUGHT
ABOUT ADOPTING, BUT LISA DID
KEEP HER HOPE ALIVE, AND SHE
FUELED AND FED THAT HOPE, AND
IT FUELED HER FAITH.
SO, WHEN THE OPPORTUNITY THAT
GOD HAD FOR HER TOOK BIRTH IN
HER HEART ALL OF A SUDDEN,
SHE GOT OFF THE PHONE, SHE
TOLD KEVIN WHAT HAD JUST
HAPPENED.
THEY WERE IN AGREEMENT AND
GUESS WHAT?
A MONTH LATER, THEY PICKED UP
THEIR TWIN GIRLS.
TAKE A LOOK AT THESE
BEAUTIFUL GIRLS.
[CONGREGATION APPLAUDING]
NOW, I DON’T KNOW, CATHERINE
AND CAROLINE, IF YOU EVER
WORE THOSE SAMPLE DIAPERS,
BUT I DO KNOW THAT YOU GOT
BATHED IN THAT SINK ‘CAUSE I
WAS THERE.
[CONGREGATION APPLAUDING]
CAN I TELL YOU YOU COULD SAY,
“WELL, THAT DIDN’T HAPPEN THE
WAY SHE THOUGHT IT WAS GOING
TO HAPPEN.”
WELL, LISA WILL TELL YOU
THIS, THOSE TWINS WERE
BIRTHED OUT OF HER HEART.
SHE COULDN’T ASK FOR ANYTHING
BETTER.
IT WAS MORE THAN SHE COULD
ASK, THINK, OR IMAGINE.
YOU SEE, GOD IS A FAITHFUL
GOD.
HE BRINGS THE PROMISES TO
PASS.
HE BRINGS THEM TO PASS IN HIS
TIMING AND IN HIS WAY.
BUT IT’S UP TO YOU AND I TO
DEVELOP THIS HOPE, TO CREATE
THIS VISUAL TO FUEL OUR
FAITH.
BECAUSE WHEN GOD GETS DONE
WITH US, IT’S MORE THAN WE
CAN ASK, THINK, OR IMAGINE.
I ENCOURAGE YOU, KEEP YOUR
HOPES UP BECAUSE HOPE IS FROM
HEAVEN, AMEN?
SOS SOS SOS please please please pray ??? for me want to live please help me Swetlana Balzhik partners Ukraine