Encouraging Words for the day | Christian devotionals - Hopeful Heart

Easter Sunday

20/4/2025

Jesus came to our world in its brokenness and hopelessness to bring freedom and life. His resurrection is the very evidence that He has accomplished what He has set out to do as the Son of God atoning our sins; bestowing upon us righteousness to approach the Throne of Grace.

Let us celebrate His victory and share the good news - He is RISEN! Praise His name for the new life He has gifted us. We wish everyone a blessed Easter Resurrection Sunday.

- Hopeful Heart Team

Good Friday 2025

18/4/2025

As we remember Christ's suffering and sacrifice on the cross, may we find His unending grace and mercy fill our days with peace, courage and hope.

We have hope because of Christ's sacrifice on the cross; He has given us the authority to trample upon our sins and no longer live under the bondage of sins but under the freedom He has purchased for us by His blood.

Praise His Holy Name and may you always remember that Jesus loves you.

-Hopeful Heart Team

I'm human, I make mistakes

26/3/2025

“I’m human, I make mistakes …,” would be the most likely excuse I will use if I were to do something I shouldn’t.

It is pretty much the excuse that is acceptable without you having to explain further why you have faltered and did what you shouldn’t have. Others may dismiss and laughed it off with you, after all who are they to judge, some may judge, reading you as a generalized example of how Christians are but what matters is, are you truly repentant of the mistakes you have made?

We may just be the only doorway and example that some people see in their life as what a Christian is like. Do we aspire to inspire them to seek Christ and live a repentant life instead of one that is happy to make excuses every time we fall to sin and caught doing it?

Everyone is susceptible to sins. The Bible reminded us that the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak hence we need to put on the full armor of God; taking on spiritual protection and relying on God’s guidance and wisdoms through prayers, praise worship and studying the Word; these will help us withstand spiritual warfare against evil, relying on God's tools and grace for defense.

Yes, I’m human and I make mistakes but God is there to help me every step of the way so I could try again and aspire to inspire others to seek Him more.

Ephesians 6:11-12
Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Matthew 26:41
“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

- John W.

It is good to give thanks to the Lord

3/3/2025

The Psalmist wrote in Psalm 92 that it is good to give thanks to the Lord. He is imploring us to see how giving thanks to the Lord is good for our soul, mind and body. When we fill our thoughts with prayerful praise, it will bring tidings of gladness and shift our focus from negative thoughts, gloom and sadness. It is, therefore, good to greet each day & morning with thanksgiving at the works of His hands.

What work you may ask? The Lord is doing a good work in our lives so that we may have life and have it to the full, the devil however, works overtime daily to burden us with anxious thoughts, worries that steal aways our joy and peace and enough to push us to make hurried or impulsive mistakes. In knowing this, we also need to be reminded that God is bigger than every mountain against us and He will continue his good works in us; interceding for us in the supernatural realms and we could continue steadfastly in prayer being watchful in it with thanksgiving (Colossians 4: 2).

It is good to give thanks to the Lord for He who begin a good work in you will bring it to full completions (Philippians 1:6).

John 10: 10
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.

- Irene Soon

We have enough

3/2/2025

When would you say you have enough? When you finally land that higher paying job? Owning the latest car? Bigger house?

Luke 12: 15 writes, "Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own." Heed the wisdom of the Bible for the Lord has walked the earth and experienced the same seasons of our lives.

Writer GK Chesterton also notably wrote that there are 2 ways to get enough. One is to continue to accumulate more and more, the other is desire less and less. We could stop and ask ourselves if we feel sincerely blessed and that we have enough? God is the One who oversees us, we have enough.

Our societies are constantly possessed by more possessions and constantly looking, wishing and buying stuff with more bells and whistles, we could stop and ponder on the truth God has given us. The Lord is not against us to get more but He is mindful that things could become an idol in your life.
Heed His truth for where your treasure, there yor heart will be also (Matthew 6: 21)

- John W.

Engraved on the palm on the Lord

4/11/2024

Charles Spurgeon wrote beautifully referencing the promise that the Lord has made in Isaiah.

"See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me." (Isaiah 49: 16)

In Spurgeon's active preaching years , it is said that He loved to preach on Isaiah 49: 16. It is a wonderful - wonderful promise and Spurgeon painted a visual reference for us whereby Jesus' wounds were engraved by nails, fastened to the Cross by thuds of hammers that His people will be truly engraved on the palm of His hands.

If and when we are plagued by doubts and thoughts that Jesus has forgotten us, we can look to our palms and remember Jesus' wounded engraved palm for us. Our names have been engraved on the palm of the Lord. He has put a permanent lasting mark on His palm for us, our walls are ever before Him; it is Jesus' way to say He loves you and me and He will always go before us; making a way and He will not in any way forsake us. Amen.

Deuteronomy 31: 6
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.

- Irene Soon

Do not look back to your past

28/10/2024

Don't look back to the past, it is a burden you need not carry, the past can be a lesson but don't let it be your hindrances to moving forward; to trying new experience or give today a new chance instead of it being burdened by yesterday's worries.

Paul says, "I focus on one thing; forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead (Phil 3:13). When we have sinned in the past, we need to renounce it, forget and let the Lord begin His healing within us. The Devil however, likes to remind us of our sins, shame and regrets so we will live in continuous guilt or fear. The scriptures says that the Lord looks to establish a new covenant with us and He will remember our sins no more (Hebrew 8: 12) - For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness and their sins and the lawless deeds I will remember no more.

Paul would have had a list of shame he carried, he prosecuted many Christians before his life in Christ but the Lord graced Him to look ahead and endured suffering for his new faith boldly. Paul chose to forget the past and look ahead & rely on the Lord's promise that his sins are remembered no more.

Do not look back to your past and let it stop your growth in Christ. Jesus has bore all of your sins, shame, fear, regrets and guilts on the cross. He has risen victoriously over all; don't take back the defeat that the Lord has conquered and won for you. The Lord has made us victors through Him. Let us receive His forgiveness, forgive ourselves and look forward to what lies ahead.

Isaiah 43:18-19
Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.

- John W.

The saddest human vocabulary

31/7/2024

I have ever read that the saddest human words is “if only”.

The writer believes that many are trapped by regrets and they beat themselves up by lamenting on the mistakes made and spend their life saying, “if only…”, “if only I tried harder”, “if only I was truthful”, “if only I made time…” What if instead of saying “if only”, we choose to say, “I will”.
“I will try harder next time,”
“I will be truthful”,
“I will make time” and so on.

Notice the hopeful anticipation that arises with the change of words and perspective.
The Bible speaks of “A wholesome tongue and a tree of life but perverseness in it breaks the spirit” – Proverbs 15: 4 NKJV. “Death and life are in the power of tongue and hose who love it will eat its fruit” – Proverbs 18: 21.

These scriptures confirm that our words bring life and death into our space, into our world and into our atmospheres so instead of speaking defeat and speaking our regrets and mistakes, let us start speaking of an active resolute action; changing our perspectives therefore, no perverseness will break our spirits and no death will reign in our atmospheres.

- Irene Soon

Good Friday 2024

29/3/2024

On Good Friday, we celebrate and remember the day Jesus has atone for our sins willingly at the cross. His crucifixion is the ultimate sacrifice for our sins.

A Prayer of Gratitude

Dear Lord, thank you for Your selfless sacrifice on the cross for me, It is through Your sacrifice, I have been set free and You paid the price to offer me the gift of eternal life.

Help me to not take this gift of salvation for granted and grant me the wisdom to remember the cost of it all. Forgive me for all of my sins, for being too busy with things and please empower me daily to do good works.

Thank you, Lord, that by your wounds I’m healed of all pains and inequities; I’m completely set free. Jesus, I give You the glory and honour. Grant everyone peace and the joy of Easter for Your sacrificial gift has given hope to the hopeless and power to the powerless.

Amen

- Hopeful Heart Team

The grace of the Lord finds you

23/11/2023

“Aslan,” said Lucy, “You are bigger!”
“That is because you are older, little one, “answered Aslan.
“Not because you are?”
“I’m not but every year you grow, you will find me bigger.”

In a fictional story of Prince Caspian, the writer C.S Lewis wrote the dialogue of Aslan the Lion with Lucy that reveals the simple beauty of God’s grace; it meets every believer at where they are at. It is a meaningful portrayal of our relationship with Christ in which as we grow in the likeness of Christ; seeking Him, His omnipotence. presence and importance in our lives will grow as well.

Does the Lord seem bigger to you when you walk through your valleys or trials? If it isn’t so, you will feel the prompting of the Holy Spirit within you to behold Christ; to pray, to worship and seek the Lord’s presence. The grace of the Lord finds you as you take every step towards Him, no matter how feeble it may be, the Lord is your strength.

Behold the Lord and find Him bigger than all your fears and trials. Let His presence and omnipotence be magnified as we continue to grow in the knowledge and likeness of Him.

Psalm 145: 14 – 17 NIV
The LORD upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food at the proper time. You open Your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. The Lord is righteous in all His ways, gracious in all His works

- Irene Soon