INTRODUCTION

The Devil blinds those who have never experienced saving faith by keeping them from being born again. He also distracts the saved to keep them from successfully serving the Lord. Interestingly, the Devil accomplishes both elements using the same means—encouraging men to continue with their misplaced hopes. Job understood that misplaced hope (Job 31:24-27 [24] If I have made gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence; [25] If I rejoice because my wealth was great, and because mine hand had gotten much; [26] If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness; [27] And my heart hath been secretly enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my hand:
See All...) was a sin and acknowledged it as such in Job 31:28This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge: for I should have denied the God that is above.
See All.... Some place their hopes in wealth, others in careers, others in family, others in science, and others in physical well-being, but in the end, all of their hopes will be disappointed. Hope placed in anything other than the Lord Himself, His perfect words, and His work on sinful man’s behalf is sin and will eventually leave one with no hope at all.

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS

• (For children): God does not want us to trust in anything other than Him (Acts 4:12Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
  See All...; Psalm 49:15But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah.
  See All...). Trusting in anything else holds no value (Psalm 49:6-7 [6] They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches; [7] None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him:
  See All..., 16-19; Psalm 146:3-6 [3] Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. [4] His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish. [5] Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God: [6] Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever:
  See All...; Proverbs 28:26He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.
  See All...a; Jeremiah 17:5-6 [5] Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD. [6] For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.
  See All...).
• (For everyone): Think of some things in which men place their hope. Why are these hopes misplaced? How are these things unable to offer true and lasting hope?
• How does misplaced hope hinder your life now? How will it affect your immediate future? How could it change one’s reward or destination for eternity?

PRAYER NEEDS

• Ask God to keep you from misplaced hope.
• Thank God for giving you a true and lasting hope.

HYMN

DAY BY DAY

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