Each year we ask God to give us His focus for all that He has in store through a single word. This year, we believe the word that best represents what God has in store is hope. And our focus Scripture is Romans 5:5: “… hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”
Yes, because of His love poured into our hearts, we will not be put to shame!We’re excited to see what God will teach us of hope this year. To get started, we found the word Hope listed 164 times in the Bible, including 21 times in the book of Job. Only Psalms has more verses including the word hope (28 in the ESV) than the book of Job. God created our hearts with a desire to hope for more than we can see, and to expect until He brings it to pass, AND to trust Him because His hopes for us are always the very best!
Why did Job have hope? And what did that hope accomplish in his life riddled with so much suffering? It seems that it accomplished far more than he even dreamt possible. Literally, everything was taken from this man who obeyed God fully and lovingly. Even so, he said, “though He slay me, yet I will trust Him.” He also confirmed the hope of the poor would eventually shut the mouth of injustice: “So the poor have hope. And injustice shuts her mouth.” Job 5:16
His journey was long, hard, and grueling … yet he never stopped voicing his hope in the only One who could answer, and believing that He would, despite all that was against him. In the end, Job learned many valuable lessons and passed those on to us. Plus, God did not disappoint him; instead, He restored all that Job had “twofold” (Job 42:10).
So, what are you hoping for this year? Or have you given up on hope? The Bible teaches us that we are saved by hope (Romans 8:24). And although hope deferred makes the heart sick, hope fulfilled is a Tree of Life, a tree that bears much fruit that helps and heals many!
One writer said this, “I maintain that the nearer a person comes to the Savior, the more hope he or she has. You just cannot live with Jesus Christ and be defeated. You cannot live with Him and say, ‘tomorrow is not going to be any good.’ Because He is the Lord of the tomorrows.”
As we face the uncertainty of today, let us hold on to the One who holds our tomorrows—knowing that hope in Him will not leave us disappointed, for truly, “He is the Hope of all the world,” Matthew 12:21
PRAISES:
- Our ministry partners in the Gambia, West Africa, are overjoyed by how God has protected their nation and renewed their hope following a recent political crisis. Our women’s leader writes,
“Praise the Lord! The Jammeh saga is finally over! Freedom at last. At this very moment his plane is taking off to his place of exile. Thanks so much for your prayers and concern through this difficult time. We appreciate your love for the Gambian people. He indeed does answer prayer! Not a single life was lost!”
- Nearly 1,000 women were trained in 2016 through Women in the Window International’s capacity-building strategies! Now many of these women are eager for more trainings in 2017 and ready to share what they’ve learned with still others. PLUS, God is opening new doors of ministry opportunity in the Middle East, North Africa, Asia and right here in America!
PRAYER REQUESTS:
- Pray for all the logistics to be in place for the upcoming trips and trainings in Sub-Saharan Africa and with our ministry partners from various nations of North Africa and the Middle East. As this tumultuous region heats up, we continue to seek God’s wisdom and provision to fulfill the many requests for training in Health, Spiritual Development, and Economic Empowerment, too.
- We are revising our core curriculum so that we can better serve women leaders, who in turn train and serve other women. Pray that all of our curriculum will be infused with both hope and wisdom! “The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish tears it down with her own hands.” Proverbs 14:1
Thank you for hoping with us for all that God has for Women in the Window in 2017! May this year overflow with hope for you and yours!
Hoping in Him,
