This is a reminder that our God is a living Saviour. He has won wars over the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world; the mighty powers of the dark world.

The devil has been against you since the day you were born, he is always out to kill, steal and destroy. He studies you, knows what angers you, your weaknesses and he knows when to attack when you are at your most vulnerable state. He does all these to deviate you from one simple truth; he fears that you will know how truly powerful being a child of God is. This is why he plans custom-made strategies to crush even a shred of faith or hope within you.

The Lord however, has promised victory over these. Ask the Holy Spirit to protect you against all the devil’s strategies, admit your vulnerability and weaknesses to the Lord and proclaim victory over all. The Lord is above your enemy, no weapon formed against you shall prosper. These are the heritage of the servant of the Lord (Isaiah 54: 17). Yes, this the truth the devil doesn’t want you to know and profess.
 ​
Isaiah 54: 17
no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me,” declares the LORD.

- Irene Soon

I’ve recently watched a documentary on Corrie Ten Boom, a Dutch woman who persevered in her Christian faith. She helped many Jews into hiding in her house, got captured and survived the concentration camp in World War II.

She displayed an extraordinary forgiveness to everyone who have wronged her and her family and even when she loses her ability to speak in her old age, she remained faithful to the Lord in her ministry. She penned a famous poem titled ‘the Tapestry poem’ in which it revealed the bittersweet truth of faith with God being the weaver of threads in the canvas of our lives. What we see as tangled threads and disarray of colours are due to our limited human ability to comprehend God’s perspective from above.

Our Omnipotent God is able to oversee all patterns of weavings to His purpose; He is making all things work for good for us. Ten Boom trusted the Lord in all her sufferings and tribulations. She worded ever so beautifully, “He gives the very best to those who leave the choice to Him.”

Dear blessed ones, the Lord loves and cares for you more than you could fathom. Even if anything does not make sense, know that the Lord is for you and He is making all things work for good for you.

Romans 8: 28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

- Irene Soon

Dear blessed ones,
​
Today Hopeful Heart turns 10 years old. (Facebook page Link)

A decade of journeying in faith and trusting in the Lord daily. We would like to humbly lift praises to the Lord for His grace to sustain this milestone and we are truly grateful of your being with us in this journey to encourage each other.

A powerful reminder for us is found in Zechariah 4: 6 – “Not by might, not by power but by the Spirit of the Lord.” It is the Lord who prepares you for the journey and it is also He who equips you for the journey. The success of any journey is not made through our strength and sheer will alone.

The Lord promises He will never leave nor forsake us (Deut 31: 8). This is a promise He spoke before the Israelites were to cross Jordan river without Moses as their leader. Essentially, the Lord is assuring them that all will be well and a change of leader will not affect their success; it is the Lord that goes before them. This also displays the Lord’s willingness to be involved in their journey actively; this promise still applies to us today.

The Israelites made it to their promised land and witnessed the fall of the Jericho wall through shouting praise to the Lord. Dear blessed ones, the Lord is faithful to His Words and His Omniscience assures us to not fear or be discouraged. He wants to be actively involved in our own journey too.
​
We give the glory and praise to our Lord Jesus Christ who sustains us daily and we hope this community of faith will continue to help you to fix your gaze to the One who is the light of the world. Amen. 

Deuteronomy 31: 8
The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.

- Hopeful Heart Team

Many would have heard the name George Muller as a man who prays and received many miraculous provisions through prayers. Faced with many overwhelming needs to run his orphanages, he turned every need to the Lord in prayer.
 
“I was at peace when worries come because I believed the truth of God’s promises, His Word and His everlasting unchanging character that loves us unconditionally.” Muller goes on saying, “I believe God is able and willing to deliver me.” Such display of faith has surely gone through the darkest nights yet seen through brightest sunshine after the billowing gush and storm that destroys.
 
Muller’s life has displayed his dependence on God’s Word and him meditating on the word to create an inner peace sanctuary within himself; the place that ensures him that God is willing and surely deliver Muller from his troubles.
 
Just as a daily good nutrition strengthens us physically, so is studying, proclaiming and standing on God’s Word will strengthen us spiritually. We will not be able to avoid troubles or worries life may throw our ways but if we seek the Lord daily and put all of our petitions in prayers, we will be able to overcome trials and rest in the peace God has gifted us through His sacrifice on the cross.
 ​
Romans 8: 32
He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
 
- Irene Soon 

​In one old movie, I watched a story about a shrewd businessman who eagerly helped to restore a nunnery which was damaged during the WWII. When asked why he did it, the unbelieving businessman simply said, “just in case!” It made me ponder aren’t we all like this businessman at some point?

We do things for God because of “just in case” too. If you were asked, “what would you willingly do for God without any ‘repayment’?” Would you have done it whole heartedly?

The businessman wanted to do good just in case there is a God and he believed his good deeds would earn him an eternal place in Heaven. That was his insurance – his good deeds would not go unrewarded.
Let us cultivate a steward heart out of gratitude for the abundant forgiveness, favor, grace and mercy that God has provide us daily. A “just in case” mentality fosters a calculative mindset with God where our bitterness grow and we say things such as, “after all I have done for You, God”, “I tithed every week and now I’m unemployed!”, “Didn’t I serve you well, why I have to endure this?” The list goes on.

Can we trust the One who loves us? Just as Satan needed God’s permission to test Job, he is unable to test you without the Almighty God not being in control. The One who loves you will have the final say and you do not need fear and resort to a “just in case” mentality.   
 
Job 1: 9-12
Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? 10 Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” 12 And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

- John W.

How did God perform the miracle of the Red Sea? By shutting His people in on every opportune side so that there was no way out but by the supernatural  way. The Egyptians were behind them, the sea was in front of them, the mountains were on both sides of them.

There was no escape but from above.The devil can wall us in, but he cannot roof us over as we can always get out at the top. Our difficulties are but God's challenges, and many times He makes them so hard that we must get above them or go under.

During such trial, it presents us with highest possibilities to build the muscles of our faith. We are pushed by the very emergency into God's best inteference. Friends, this is God's hour. If you will rise to meet it you will get such a hold upon Him that you will not be in extremities again; or if you are, you will learn to call them not extremities, but opportunities.

Like Jacob, you will go forth from that night at Peniel, no longer called Jacob, but as victorious Israel. 

2 Corinthians 4:9
We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.

- Writing of A Simpson

The goodness of God endures continually.”- Psalm 52:1

Good things show up in our lives in many ways: friends and family, health, a roof overhead and food on the table, the enjoyment we receive from music, nature, books and so on. The Bible teaches us that God is the giver of these blessings. “God’s gift to us is the happiness we get from our food and drink and from the work we do. “Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created the heavens.”

These gifts however, as wonderful as they are, are just a small illustration of God’s love. God didn’t have to send His Son; and Jesus didn’t have to lay down His life for our sakes, but He did, and as a result, we are eligible to receive forgiveness of sins and the assurance of an eternity in God’s loving presence.

Without Jesus’ sacrifice, without His sufferings on the cross, without His death, without His resurrection and triumph over the grave, we would not have the promise of everlasting life. Let us take some time to thank God for His gift of salvation. Thank Him for these eternal gifts of forgiveness and redemption.

“Thank You, Lord for sending Your Son, Jesus, to bear the punishment for all my mistakes and shortcomings. Please keep my heart, mind, and life open to You, so that I always remember Your daily goodness in my life.” Amen.

James 1:17 ESV
​Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

- Anonymous 

Over the weekend, we decided to go for a picnic to enjoy the beautiful spring day. During the picnic however, we encountered flies buzzing around our food and we constantly find ourselves shooing them multiple times. Flies pose threat in contaminating food with bacteria. Once they touched our food with their little antennae feet, the bacteria will multiply and compromise the hygiene of the food, making it no longer safe to be consumed.
​
Isn’t this the same as negative thoughts? When we choose to see the way God wants us to see, we will be able to embrace a godly peace and clarity. The thing that usually limits this result is our way of thinking, the old negative mindset that constantly voices itself inside our head and compromises our positive thinking.

It is a fact that we do not become negative overnight, it is a culmination of negative thoughts over a course of time. The Bible says as a man thinks in his heart, so is he (Proverbs 23: 7). Simply put, what you think will affect how you’re feeling. Think negative thoughts and you will feel all sorts of discouraging emotions flooding in.

This is why recalling the goodness of the Lord in the past will shift our victim mentality to a victor mentality.  It is also a wise to replace our negative thoughts with thoughts that are praiseworthy (Phil 4: 8), deal with negativity like the way you deal with flies at a picnic; by shooing them away before they stay on, contaminate and compromise our positive thinking.

To experience a feeling, we must first entertain the thought that produces it. What thoughts you have been entertaining lately? Have you allowed it to compromise your mind?

Philippians 4: 8
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

- Irene Soon 

We often ask the question, "Why didn't God help me sooner?"

It is not His order. He must first adjust us to the situation and cause us to learn the intended lesson from it. His promise to us is, "I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him."

God must first be with us in the trouble until we step into our own persevering quietness. Then He will take us out of it. This will not come until we have stopped being restless and fretful about it. He desires for us to be in calm disposition and trustful. Then we may find Him say, "It is enough."

God uses trouble to teach His children precious lessons. They are intended to better us. When the good work is done, a glorious recompense will come to us through them. The Lord does not regard trials as difficulties but as opportunities. Without difficulties we cannot have a mercy worth praising God and the glory to see His sovereign power. 

Psalm 91: 15
He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.

- Writing of  A. Simpson