Philippians 4:13  “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” (NIV)

As my granddaughter and I sat in our seat awaiting lift-off as the plane roared down the runway, I was once again amazed that planes can fly.

And as we soared into the clouds, I thought of all those, so many years ago, who believed in their hearts that man could invent a flying machine. And how many times they failed and continued to fail. But one day they finally got it right and the first tiny planed soared toward the heavens. Once the initial problem of being land bound had been solved, the building of bigger and better planes literally *took off*.

Perseverance and hope go hand in hand for the Christian. For if God has put a desire within our hearts, that lines up with His will, we can rest assured that it is possible and will become a reality if we do not abandon hope but continue to persevere.

David was anointed to become king when he was just a lad, but it took at least fifteen years and tremendous hardship before his kingship became a reality.

When Noah is first mentioned in Genesis 5:32 he was five hundred years old but when he entered the ark he was six hundred years old. Obviously the building of the ark from start to finish took a very long time.

And it took poor Moses forty years to lead the stubborn and rebellious Israelites from Egypt to the Promised Land: a journey which I bet he often wondered if it would ever end.

All of these people had a hope. A hope that they knew in their hearts was from God: a hope that really must have, at least at times felt hopeless and impossible. And yet as they trusted God as their helper and strength each one of them persevered and saw their hope soar into the flight of fulfillment.

Do you have a God given hope in your heart today? If so then fly with it. Even if you wonder how on earth it can ever become a reality, persevere with God as your helper, and never ever give up. For with Him all things are possible including the soaring fulfillment of your hope. ~Prayer~ Father God thank You that nothing is impossible when You have called us to it. Bless each of us with the strength and perseverance we need to see the hopes You have placed within our hearts, take flight and soar into fulfillment. In Christ’s name we ask. Amen.

Lynne Phipps Atlin, B.C.