Scripture Reading: Ecclesiastics 9:4
For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.

Reflections: King Solomon submits that the power of hope remains available to a living dog but inaccessible to a dead lion. This clearly points to the fact that the operation of hope should not be abandoned by anyone who is alive. It is a key requirement for the living. In both its Hebrew and Greek renditions, hope is indicative of a ‘strong and confident expectation’. Once you have a strong and confident expectation that something good will happen, you are enabled to work towards it. Hope therefore shapes your thinking and drives you to work towards a particular path to achieve your expectations. You don’t ever have to defer being hopeful. That will be dangerous for you. Remember, ‘Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life’ (Proverbs 13:12).

Prayer: Dear Lord, help me to be hopeful in life.

Confession: I refuse to be hopeless. I have hope that things will work out out for good in my life. For this I don’t give up but work towards what I desire to see happen.