WINNING WITH THE WORD
“Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life.
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Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, January 2, 2023, and this is Episode #1 of Series 2023. This episode is titled “Finding Hope for the Future”.
The start of a new year always brings with it a renewed hope for a fresh start. Some of us need a fresh start on a longstanding goal. Some of us need a fresh start on taking care of our health. Some of us need a fresh start in our marriage or our parent-child relationships. Whatever the case for you, this new year of 2023 offers a fresh start.
But, perhaps you are feeling hopeless about the possibility of a fresh start. Perhaps, with everything that has been happening in the last three years, you feel that a fresh start is impossible. If this describes you, let me encourage you with a few Scripture verses:
1. Lamentations 3: 23 – “Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning.” Because of God’s mercy, we can begin each day with a clean slate as we repent of our sin. Each morning, we can have renewed hope that our Lord is for us and not against us.
2. Romans 8: 31 – “If God is for us, who can ever be against us?” Those who are in Christ can always count on God’s hundred-percent support. He has our backs and will protect us from evil as we trust in Him. This gives us hope to go on in the face of even the worst difficulties.
3. Jeremiah 29: 11 – “For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the LORD. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” No matter what things look like, God has a good plan for your life. But it is our job to connect to His plan. How? There is only one way. That way is to be born again.
You see, when we are born into this world, we are born with a spirit disconnected from God because of sin. But when we are born again, our spirits are reconnected to God by the power of Christ. When that happens, the life of Christ–including His good plan for our lives–begins to flow into us. Jesus Himself said, “Unless a man is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
4. Romans 15:13 – “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. This verse tells us where hope comes from. It comes from God. God is the Source of our hope. Without a relationship with God, we have no hope.
This verse also tells us that we can be filled with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is He Who makes it possible for us to experience hope. If you are in need of hope, turn to God. He has an endless supply of hope for you.
5. 2 Corinthians 4: 16-18 – “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” As our bodies grow older, our spirits can grow stronger when we focus on the right things. If we focus on this world, we will be discouraged and lose hope. But if we focus on “the things that are unseen”—in other words, the things of God—we will never lose hope. Why? Because, as the Bible points out, “the things of this life–the things that we can see–are temporary, whereas the things of God–the things we cannot see—are eternal.
So fix your eyes on eternal things, for these are the only things that matter in the long run. When you do, you will have hope.
But the only way you can fix your eyes on eternal things is to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Who is our Hope. If you do not yet have a relationship with Him, I urge you to establish one now by receiving Him into your life. Pray this simple prayer with me:
Lord Jesus, I acknowledge and admit that I am a sinner. I have sinned against You and I now choose to repent. I ask You to forgive me of my sin. Cleanse me of all unrighteousness. I receive You now as my Savior and my Lord. Make of me what You created me to be. Amen.
If you have acknowledged that you are a sinner, repented of your sin, and received Jesus as your Savior and Lord, you are now a born-again child of God. Write to me at info@maryanndiorio.com and request my free e-booklet titled After You’re Born Again. It will help you get started in your exciting life journey with Jesus.
Before you leave, please check out my new featured books for this season: The Captain and Mrs. Vye, my latest novel, A Christmas Homecoming, my popular Christmas novella, and Miracle at Madville, my latest children’s storybook.
The Captain and Mrs. Vye is the story of a middle-aged, childless widow who discovers that her late husband has left her destitute.
A Christmas Homecoming is the story of a mother whose teenage daughter goes missing. The mother faces losing her mind, her family, and her faith.
Miracle at Madville is the story of an angry young princess who discovers the greatest weapon of all.
All three books make great all-occasions gifts for the readers in your life and are available on Amazon. Links are included at the end of this blogpost and podcast and in the show notes.
THE CAPTAIN AND MRS. VYE
A CHRISTMAS HOMECOMING
MIRACLE AT MADVILLE
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Until next time, I wish you a Happy New Year filled with God’s blessings. Remember that God loves you just as you are and just where you are, and that He will help you to keep on Winning with the Word!
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Featured Books for the Start of the New Year:
Get your copy of A Christmas Homecoming! One reader called it “a cup of hot cocoa for the heart.”
CLICK HERE to get your copy now.
NEW RELEASE: The Captain and Mrs. Vye by MaryAnn Diorio – A Novel
A middle-aged, childless widow discovers that her late husband has left her destitute.
CLICK HERE to get your copy now.
New Release: Miracle at Madville: A Storybook for Children
An angry young princess discovers the greatest weapon of all.
CLICK HERE to get your copy now.
To subscribe to Winning with the Word, click here.
To subscribe to my Author Newsletter, click here.
To subscribe to The Reader Connection, click here.
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Copyright 2000-2023 by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. All Rights Reserved. This article may not be published or printed in any form whatsoever without the written permission of Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. You may contact her at info@maryanndiorio.com to request permission.
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Copyright 2000-2023 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD. All Rights Reserved.