“If I Stand” by Rich Mullins
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=fvwp&NR=1&v=5Jj0ZTzgmGM

“There’s more that rises in the morning than the sun

And more that shines than just the moon

If I stand let me stand on the promise that You will pull me through
And if I can’t let me fall on the grace that first brought me to You.

And if I sing let me sing for the joy that is born in me this song
And if I weep let it be as a man who is longing for his home.” ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

“ For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.” Romans 8:24-25 (NIV)

“Hope is like the sun, which, as we journey towards it, casts the shadow of our burden behind us” —Samuel Smiles

As you walk through life, in good times and bad times, hope will always be nearby for you to call upon. Like a friendly neighbor or close friend, hope will never disappoint you. God sends His children hope to pull them out of struggles and trials. Rich Mullins wrote in his song STAND: “There is more that rises in the morning than the sun.” He knew that with each new day there was the gift of a new beginning brimming with hope.

Anticipated desires, which we expect to occur, are hopes. All hopes help us when trying to cope with life struggles. They remind us to look upward towards the heavens and trust in the Creator of the universe. It is with confidence that you may present your hopes and desires to God. He hears all the prayers His children send up to Him. Trust that your hopes are obtainable, so long as they are aligned with God’s will for you.

There is joy to be found in holding hope in your heart. It is a secret desire between you and God. The joy comes as you wait for its arrival. Will it disappoint? No, not if you are hoping for something that pleases God.

Your hopes may change as you wait for your desire to be fulfilled. Why? It is because the Holy Spirit is constantly working on your heart, transforming you into the vessel God envisioned when you were still in your mother’s womb. He leads and guides us in the ways of the Lord. When your desire is graciously granted, it will be aligned with His purpose and plan for you.

God’s gifts are always more wonderful than we can imagine. His blessings are beyond our imagination and comprehension. Hope in and ask for those things He wants to hand you, not the things you think you want. Wait for his blessings to be revealed. Patiently hold on to your hope and trust that every desire of your heart will be given onto you, as you delight yourself in the Lord.

“Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. “                     Psalm 37:4 (NIV)

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. “ Romans 12:12 (NIV)