Cross Referencing Series Pt. 3 - Hope

First of course, we will be going to the Concordance in our Bible. Today we will be choosing two verses and stressing those to verses beyond that. Feel free to do more on your own. 

The first verse will be Psalms 33:20, in this verse David says, "We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield." Then David continues in Psalms 33:21-22 saying, "In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in you." David is the ultimate story of hope, it was all he had! While the rest of Israel's army was petrified in fear, David stepped up. He took down Goliath with a slingshot, but not just any slingshot. It was an act that was fully powered by God, and because David was just a scrawny teenager, we know that it was not coincidence that he defeated Goliath. It was because he had hope in God. David believed that with Him, anything was possible. Then after that, David went on to become king of Israel and Judah. He started with nothing but hope, but got everything because of it. The cross reference for verse Psalms 33:20, leads us to only one verse, which is Psalm 27:14. It says, "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." In this verse, David is telling us to have patience. This is such an important verse because it is so easy to think that God has done nothing for you even though you are always praying to Him. What you need to understand is that God has a plan for you, and while we may not understand it, we must trust in it.

Our second verse will be 1 John 3:3, it says, "All who have this hope in [Christ] purify themselves, just as [Christ] is pure." This verse totally debunks the mindset that you can't pray if you haven't always been Christian. So many people think that it's too late for them to go to God, but it never will be. God knows that you're not perfect, and he doesn't expect you to be. But the best way to help yourself get back up after you've been shoved down, is to run to Jesus. He can make you pure, and He can make you happy. The cross reference for 1 John 3:3 leads us to a few verses, but we're going to pick verses 2 Peter 3:14 and 2 Corinthians 7:1. 2 Peter 3:14 says, "So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with [God]." This verse does not mean that you have to be perfect, because no one is. It simply means that once you've gone to God, you want to have a peaceful and loving relationship, and you want to think about what God would want you to do in future situations. Not only can He forgive you for all your past sins, He can help you prevent sinning in the future. The next verse is 2 Corinthians 7:1, it says, "Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God." This verse is saying that with God's help, we can eliminate those things in our life that we know aren't good for us, but can't seem to take on by ourselves. 

Right now, it may seem like your situation is hopeless. You may be wondering, who or what am I supposed to turn to? And we have the answer... Jesus! Even if you haven't always been a follower of Christ, that doesn't mean you can't try talking to Him. You may think that He won't listen to you because you've sinned, but that is in no way, shape, or form true! We all sin, but that doesn't make God love us any less. All God wants is for His children to know Him, He is an amazing listener, and even if you don't think that He is there for you, we can assure you He is. At least just let Him know your struggles, keeping your problems to yourself isn't healthy. He will give you relief.

1 Peter 5:7 says, "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."

All in all, God can give us hope in every situation. He can help us get through a rough patch in life, He can help us improve or work on ourselves, He can lift the burdens of our past off of our shoulders, He will listen when no one else will, and He will help you through what's to come.