Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 
~ Hebrews 11:1

Things hoped for. 

There are some I share openly. Some I hold in secret places in my heart. 

I’ve learned a few things about hopes. They open the door to vulnerability. Sometimes they lead to disappointment and even discouragement. Other times they bring a desired result. 

Hopes can motivate action, and God can use hope to move me further along His planned path. But at times, I charge ahead on my own, determined to realize a hope by my own strength and in my own time.

That’s where hope can lead to frustration, and where faith gets trampled under expectation.

I pick up my dictionary. Webster has much to say about the word assurance. My eyes land on a phrase. “Anything that inspires confidence.”

Do I practice a faith that inspires confidence? Do I have confidence that the object of my faith, the God who rules the universe, is trustworthy to handle my hopes?

This morning I think about my immediate and long-term hopes. Will I let them dominate my energy and focus to the exclusion of faith? Or will I hand them over to God, in confident assurance that He will bring the root of those hopes to fruition in His perfect time and way.

Dear Lord,
You alone know the secret hopes of my heart. Magnify my confidence in You, and hence, my faith. Help me rest in a place of assurance, even when those things hoped for remain, in this moment, unseen.