Monday, July 18, 2016

Troubled? Worried? Have you lost hope?




By Tamera Lynn Kraft






We all hope for things. If our flowers need watering, we hope it will rain. If we have a picnic scheduled, we hope it will be sunny. We all hope life will be easy. Hope in the Bible is different than this kind of hope of wishing something would happen or wanting something.



What is Hope?



In the New Testament, the word hope is translated from the word elpizo. Elpizo means confidently trusting in and waiting for something or someone. The book of Hebrews calls it an anchor for our souls.



Hebrews 16:19-20 (NIV) We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf…



What is Our Hope Built On?



The old hymn says “Our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.” That pretty much sums it up. Our hope is built on the fact that Jesus Christ, the Son of God came to Earth to die on the cross for our sins, to rise from the grave in victory, and to ascend to Heaven. We also confidently hope that He is one day coming again.



Romans 5:2 (ESV) Through him, we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.



Hope in Christ Brings Peace and Joy



When our hope is in Christ instead of in our circumstances, that kind of confident expectation bring us a peace the world can’t understand and a joy that doesn’t depend on everything happening exactly right. We can rely upon Christ to work things out for our good. That relieves us of the pressure to fix things we can’t fix.



Romans 15:13 (ESV) May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.



In my soon to be released novella, Resurrection of Hope, Vivian visits a friend named Hope who has just lost a child and was told she couldn’t have children. Here’s a short excerpt from that scene.



Vivian swallowed. "I… I don't know what to say. I expected to find you distraught after what happened, but you seem to be… almost cheerful."



Hope's eyes closed and her head tilted back into the pillow. "I have my moments. Trust me." She opened her eyes and smiled. "I keep my hope in Jesus Christ, and He gives me the peace I need to get through this."



Vivian held back a snort. "How can you of all people talk of hope knowing you'll never have any children?"



Hope pressed her lips together as she propped herself up on her pillow. "If my hope rested on having children, then you're right. There would be no reason, but my hope is the kind they talk about in Psalms. 'But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you.'"



Book Blurb:

Resurrection of Hope

She thought he was her knight in shining armor, but will a marriage of convenience prove her wrong?

After Vivian’s fiancé dies in the Great War, she thinks her life is over. But Henry, her fiancé’s best friend, comes to the rescue offering a marriage of convenience. He claims he promised his friend he would take care of her. She grows to love him, but she knows it will never work because he never shows any love for her.

Henry adores Vivian and has pledged to take care of her, but he won’t risk their friendship by letting her know. She’s still in love with the man who died in the Great War. He won’t risk heartache by revealing his true emotions.

Resurrection of Hope is available at these online stores:


Bio: (for shorter bio, use only first paragraph)

Tamera Lynn Kraft has always loved adventures. She loves to write historical fiction set in the United States because there are so many stories in American history. There are strong elements of faith, romance, suspense and adventure in her stories. She has received 2nd place in the NOCW contest, 3rd place TARA writer’s contest, and is a finalist in the Frasier Writing Contest and has other novellas in print. She’s been married for 37 years to the love of her life, Rick, and has two married adult children and two grandchildren.

Tamera has been a children’s pastor for over 20 years. She is the leader of a ministry called Revival Fire For Kids where she mentors other children’s leaders, teaches workshops, and is a children’s ministry consultant and children’s evangelist and has written children’s church curriculum. She is a recipient of the 2007 National Children’s Leaders Association Shepherd’s Cup for lifetime achievement in children’s ministry.

You can contact Tamera on her website at http://tameralynnkraft.net



You can contact Tamera online at these sites.


Word Sharpeners Blog: http://tameralynnkraft.com














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