Hope in Broken Places

Sunday Rewind is a 5-day Devotional based on the weekly sermon at Resonate Community Church

January 25th Sermon, Day 5

God's promise of hope to the exiles came right in the middle of their difficult circumstances, not as an escape from them. They were still in Babylon, still far from home, still surrounded by a culture that didn't understand their faith. Yet God said, 'I know the plans I have for you... plans to give you hope and a future.'

This is a profound truth for us today: God's hope isn't a distant promise for when everything gets better. It's a present reality that transforms how we live right now, even in broken places. When we truly believe that God is at work in our communities, our workplaces, our families - even when they're messy and imperfect - it changes everything.

Hope gives us the courage to plant gardens in foreign soil, to invest in relationships that might be challenging, to work for the good of people who may never thank us for it. Hope helps us see beyond current circumstances to God's bigger story of redemption and restoration.

This week, you've been challenged to move from passive waiting to active engagement, to become an agent of shalom, to step outside echo chambers, and to engage in meaningful conversations. All of this is possible because of hope - the confident expectation that God is working His purposes out through ordinary people like you and me. Your current circumstances, however difficult or imperfect, are not the end of the story. They're the very place where God wants to demonstrate His power to bring beauty from ashes, to create community from division, and to build His kingdom through willing hearts.

Bible Verse

'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.' - Jeremiah 29:11

Reflection Question

How does believing that God has good plans for you - right where you are now - change the way you approach your current challenges and relationships?

Quote

God's promise of hope comes in the middle of a difficult time, and not as an escape from it.

Prayer

Father, thank You that Your hope is not dependent on perfect circumstances. Help me to live with confidence in Your good plans, even when I can't see the full picture. Use me as an instrument of Your peace and hope in the places where You've planted me. Amen.