1
00:00:00,600 –> 00:00:04,080
In 2025, I found myself
wrestling with frustration that

2
00:00:04,080 –> 00:00:08,520
God was not giving me joy.
And then God very patiently told

3
00:00:08,520 –> 00:00:11,200
me what was actually happening.
It wasn’t that he was

4
00:00:11,200 –> 00:00:14,080
withholding joy, it was that I
was rejecting it.

5
00:00:14,560 –> 00:00:18,200
What followed was an invitation
to spend 30 days looking at 30

6
00:00:18,200 –> 00:00:21,320
passages on Joy and turning it
into a devotional called

7
00:00:21,320 –> 00:00:24,800
Rejecting Joy No longer.
You’d think I would have learned

8
00:00:25,000 –> 00:00:28,160
that coming into 2026, I was
wrestling with hope.

9
00:00:28,840 –> 00:00:32,040
God, why are you making me so
hopeless?

10
00:00:32,640 –> 00:00:35,480
And God very patiently let me
know the reality.

11
00:00:36,080 –> 00:00:39,160
He wasn’t withholding hope.
I was rejecting it.

12
00:00:39,560 –> 00:00:43,520
And so now here I am, spending
30 days looking at 30 passages

13
00:00:43,560 –> 00:00:46,560
on hope.
And my hope is that this

14
00:00:46,560 –> 00:00:49,440
encourages you.
One thing that’s different this

15
00:00:49,440 –> 00:00:52,160
year is I felt like God was
inviting me to be publicly

16
00:00:52,160 –> 00:00:56,440
transparent with my processing.
To actually go live on social

17
00:00:56,440 –> 00:01:00,880
media, pull out a random verse,
and then read and process

18
00:01:00,880 –> 00:01:04,440
through it on camera.
This isn’t me coming to you as

19
00:01:04,440 –> 00:01:08,440
an expert on hope, but me coming
to you honestly as someone

20
00:01:08,440 –> 00:01:12,120
wrestling with hope.
And by witnessing that some of

21
00:01:12,120 –> 00:01:16,720
you might feel less alone, may
feel seen and understood, may

22
00:01:16,720 –> 00:01:19,880
end up being encouraged in a way
that is far deeper than the best

23
00:01:19,880 –> 00:01:23,240
platitude.
So join me as I spend 30 days

24
00:01:23,440 –> 00:01:27,520
navigating 30 passages on Hope.
This is day 11.

25
00:01:29,400 –> 00:01:33,120
You’re listening to episode 218
of the Where Did You See God

26
00:01:33,120 –> 00:01:33,880
podcast.
Probably

27
00:01:47,180 –> 00:01:49,580
got to just thinking that you
were God and you were good and

28
00:01:49,720 –> 00:01:52,360
for this opportunity to spend
time in your Word.

29
00:01:52,680 –> 00:01:54,360
And so, Holy Spirit, I invite
you to move.

30
00:01:54,400 –> 00:01:58,280
And to speak.
Help me to have ears to hear.

31
00:01:59,000 –> 00:02:00,520
Help the listener to have ears
to hear.

32
00:02:01,680 –> 00:02:04,960
I think you’re in advance for
how you’re going to move this

33
00:02:04,960 –> 00:02:06,240
only name.
Amen.

34
00:02:07,760 –> 00:02:14,040
First Peter 113.
Therefore, prepping your minds

35
00:02:14,040 –> 00:02:20,760
for action and being sober
minded, set your hope fully on

36
00:02:20,760 –> 00:02:24,640
the grace that will be brought
to you at the revelation of

37
00:02:24,640 –> 00:02:29,560
Jesus Christ, as some of y’all
have heard before.

38
00:02:30,480 –> 00:02:32,920
What’s that?
Therefore, therefore, so let’s

39
00:02:32,920 –> 00:02:36,680
go to first Peter one to find
out.

40
00:02:40,200 –> 00:02:44,360
This section is called Praise to
God for a living hope relevant

41
00:02:44,600 –> 00:02:48,040
praise be to the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ.

42
00:02:48,400 –> 00:02:52,040
In his great mercy he has given
us new birth into a living hope.

43
00:02:52,680 –> 00:02:55,040
There’s a little letter by it.
Let’s see what the letter says

44
00:02:57,160 –> 00:03:02,400
goes to that Hebrews 36 but
Christ is faithful as the Son of

45
00:03:03,040 –> 00:03:06,480
over God’s house, and we are his
house, if indeed we hold firmly

46
00:03:06,480 –> 00:03:09,560
to our confidence in the hope in
which we glory.

47
00:03:10,120 –> 00:03:15,160
OK, OK, in His great mercy He
has given us new birth into a

48
00:03:15,240 –> 00:03:18,480
living hope through the
resurrection of Jesus Christ

49
00:03:18,480 –> 00:03:20,920
from the dead, and into an
inheritance that can never

50
00:03:20,920 –> 00:03:24,640
perish, spoil, or fade.
This inheritance is kept in

51
00:03:24,640 –> 00:03:27,480
heaven for you, who through
faith are shielded by God’s

52
00:03:27,480 –> 00:03:30,280
power until the coming of the
salvation that is ready to be

53
00:03:30,280 –> 00:03:34,560
revealed in the last time.
In all this you greatly rejoice,

54
00:03:34,560 –> 00:03:37,920
though now for a little while
you may have had to suffer grief

55
00:03:37,920 –> 00:03:41,720
and all kinds of trials.
Let me read that line again.

56
00:03:42,640 –> 00:03:47,080
In all this, this idea of
salvation, this inheritance, you

57
00:03:47,080 –> 00:03:51,440
greatly rejoice.
Though now for a little while

58
00:03:51,440 –> 00:03:54,320
you may have had to suffer grief
in all kinds of trials.

59
00:03:54,960 –> 00:03:57,880
These have come so that the
proven genuineness of your faith

60
00:03:57,880 –> 00:04:01,120
of greater worth than gold,
which perishes even though we’re

61
00:04:01,120 –> 00:04:04,840
fine by fire, may result in
praise, glory, and honor when

62
00:04:04,880 –> 00:04:08,280
Jesus Christ is revealed.
Though you have not seen Him,

63
00:04:08,280 –> 00:04:11,640
you love Him, and even though
you do not see Him now, you

64
00:04:11,640 –> 00:04:14,240
believe in Him, and are filled
with an inexpressible and

65
00:04:14,240 –> 00:04:18,079
glorious joy, for you are
receiving the end result of your

66
00:04:18,079 –> 00:04:20,079
faith, the salvation of your
souls.

67
00:04:20,959 –> 00:04:23,520
Concerning the salvation, the
prophets who spoke of the grace

68
00:04:23,520 –> 00:04:27,440
that was to come to you searched
intently and with greatest care,

69
00:04:27,880 –> 00:04:31,120
trying to find out the time and
the circumstances to which the

70
00:04:31,120 –> 00:04:32,840
Spirit of Christ in them was
pointing.

71
00:04:32,840 –> 00:04:35,880
When He predicted the sufferings
of the Messiah and the glories

72
00:04:35,880 –> 00:04:38,960
that would follow, it was
revealed to them that they were

73
00:04:38,960 –> 00:04:42,400
not serving themselves but you.
When they spoke of the things

74
00:04:42,400 –> 00:04:45,880
that have now been told you by
those who have preached the

75
00:04:45,880 –> 00:04:49,680
gospel to you by the Holy Spirit
sent from heaven, Even angels

76
00:04:49,680 –> 00:04:53,400
long to look into these things.
Therefore, with minds that are

77
00:04:53,400 –> 00:04:57,920
alert and fully sober, set your
hope on the grace to be brought

78
00:04:57,920 –> 00:05:01,480
to you when Jesus Christ is
revealed at His coming.

79
00:05:02,880 –> 00:05:05,640
As obedient children, do not
conform to the evil desires you

80
00:05:05,640 –> 00:05:08,760
had when you lived in ignorance.
But just as he who called you is

81
00:05:08,760 –> 00:05:12,400
holy, so be holy and all you do.
For it is written Be holy

82
00:05:12,400 –> 00:05:23,360
because I’m holy.
So again, we really want hope to

83
00:05:23,360 –> 00:05:29,280
be in reference to the here and
now my current situation and how

84
00:05:29,280 –> 00:05:33,040
it will get better.
This says set your hope fully

85
00:05:33,840 –> 00:05:38,080
fully on the grace that will be
brought to you when at the

86
00:05:38,080 –> 00:05:40,600
revelation of Jesus Christ
earlier.

87
00:05:40,600 –> 00:05:44,240
It says this inheritance is kept
in heaven for you who through

88
00:05:44,240 –> 00:05:46,960
faith are shielded by God’s
power until the coming of the

89
00:05:46,960 –> 00:05:49,960
salvation that is ready to be
revealed in the last time.

90
00:05:51,000 –> 00:05:53,760
So a few things here. 1 is what
I was just saying.

91
00:05:54,640 –> 00:06:00,680
Can we get honest about how long
term we’re willing for our hope

92
00:06:00,680 –> 00:06:07,280
to be and can we grow to be
willing for that long term hope

93
00:06:07,280 –> 00:06:12,000
to not be long term in terms of
our life, but from an eternal

94
00:06:12,040 –> 00:06:13,520
mindset?
Because that’s very different.

95
00:06:13,800 –> 00:06:16,480
That means you could go your
entire life and be like those in

96
00:06:16,480 –> 00:06:19,520
Hebrews 11.
They didn’t see the thing

97
00:06:19,520 –> 00:06:23,880
promised because that’s what is
noted in here.

98
00:06:24,320 –> 00:06:29,920
You had these folks, the
prophets, who spoke of the grace

99
00:06:29,920 –> 00:06:32,560
that was to come.
They searched intently and with

100
00:06:32,560 –> 00:06:34,040
greatest care.
They were trying to find out the

101
00:06:34,040 –> 00:06:37,520
time and circumstances to which
the Spirit of Christ in them was

102
00:06:37,520 –> 00:06:40,760
pointing when He predicted the
sufferings of the Messiah and

103
00:06:40,760 –> 00:06:44,080
the glories that would follow.
So they’re doing the hard work.

104
00:06:44,680 –> 00:06:49,600
They are genuinely and intensely
and with greatest care trying to

105
00:06:49,600 –> 00:06:52,880
discern and understand what the
prophecies were saying about

106
00:06:52,920 –> 00:06:55,840
Jesus, what the Spirit was
trying to communicate.

107
00:06:57,360 –> 00:07:00,120
It was revealed to them that
they were not serving themselves

108
00:07:00,720 –> 00:07:04,440
but you when they spoke of the
things that have now been told

109
00:07:04,440 –> 00:07:07,160
to you by those who have
preached the gospel to you by

110
00:07:07,160 –> 00:07:12,800
the Spirit sent from heaven.
And so these prophets were

111
00:07:12,800 –> 00:07:17,640
invited into something that was
bigger than them, beyond them,

112
00:07:18,360 –> 00:07:22,960
beyond their generations even,
that they were invited to be

113
00:07:23,280 –> 00:07:28,040
participants in something that,
though they longed for it to be

114
00:07:28,040 –> 00:07:32,720
revealed within their time
within their lives, would not be

115
00:07:32,720 –> 00:07:35,480
revealed until hundreds of years
later.

116
00:07:36,320 –> 00:07:40,840
Thousands.
That is a hard thing.

117
00:07:41,120 –> 00:07:47,400
Until you can get over the hump
of the here and now, my life, my

118
00:07:47,400 –> 00:07:51,080
desires, my understandings.
When you get over that hump and

119
00:07:51,080 –> 00:07:54,560
you actually don’t just
intellectually but holistically

120
00:07:54,560 –> 00:07:57,960
understand that reality is
bigger than we understand it,

121
00:07:57,960 –> 00:08:02,600
but also our purpose is bigger
than our lives, then you can

122
00:08:02,600 –> 00:08:07,000
grow willing to be a participant
in something for which you do

123
00:08:07,000 –> 00:08:09,120
not get to experience the
fruits.

124
00:08:12,080 –> 00:08:15,840
That’s how we’re able to set our
hopefully on a grace that will

125
00:08:15,840 –> 00:08:18,040
be brought at the revelation of
Jesus Christ.

126
00:08:18,520 –> 00:08:22,600
As that other part said at the
last time, that our hope can be

127
00:08:22,600 –> 00:08:26,400
something that extends beyond
our human lives.

128
00:08:27,680 –> 00:08:30,800
That’s hard for us to grasp
because we’re in our human lives

129
00:08:30,800 –> 00:08:34,080
right now.
So how do we do that?

130
00:08:35,120 –> 00:08:40,120
Therefore, preparing your minds
for action and being sober

131
00:08:40,120 –> 00:08:45,120
minded to mind things.
Why are both of these important?

132
00:08:46,200 –> 00:08:48,960
The 1st is important because
there’s so many reasons that we

133
00:08:48,960 –> 00:08:53,840
won’t move, we won’t step, we
won’t stand, we won’t stay at

134
00:08:53,840 –> 00:08:57,840
the table.
Hopelessness can lead to

135
00:08:57,840 –> 00:09:03,240
numbness, can lead to inaction,
can lead to resistance, can lead

136
00:09:03,240 –> 00:09:07,160
to running, right.
And we’re invited to prepare our

137
00:09:07,160 –> 00:09:10,520
minds for action.
So two pieces, even in that one

138
00:09:10,520 –> 00:09:13,600
is the 4 action part.
You know, it’s like, all right,

139
00:09:13,600 –> 00:09:18,240
buckle up, we got work to do.
There has to be this willingness

140
00:09:18,560 –> 00:09:23,400
to move forward to act.
But the second piece is

141
00:09:23,600 –> 00:09:26,480
preparing.
So this means doing the work

142
00:09:26,480 –> 00:09:29,480
before the moment so that you
can do the work that’s needed.

143
00:09:30,560 –> 00:09:35,000
Preparing implies it’s happening
prior to when the minds for

144
00:09:35,000 –> 00:09:40,480
action needs to be enacted.
So you got to be proactive here

145
00:09:41,240 –> 00:09:45,480
based on what you are learning
about God and who Jesus is.

146
00:09:45,840 –> 00:09:49,640
You have to decide to prepare
your mind to be ready to move.

147
00:09:50,440 –> 00:09:53,680
And then the second part and
being super minded.

148
00:09:54,800 –> 00:09:56,680
Now this is actually the first
thing that really stood out to

149
00:09:56,680 –> 00:09:58,880
me when I read the verse.
I’m glad I didn’t lose it

150
00:10:00,440 –> 00:10:04,160
because this is so important.
There are plenty of people who

151
00:10:04,160 –> 00:10:07,680
have their minds prepared for
action, but they are not doing

152
00:10:07,680 –> 00:10:14,800
so with a sober mind.
Same book, first Peter 50.

153
00:10:14,800 –> 00:10:16,160
This whole thing’s about sober
minded.

154
00:10:16,160 –> 00:10:17,320
All right, I’m going to go back
to five.

155
00:10:17,360 –> 00:10:20,320
In the same way you who are
younger submit yourselves to

156
00:10:20,320 –> 00:10:22,960
your elders.
All of you clothe yourselves

157
00:10:22,960 –> 00:10:26,440
with humility.
All of you clothe yourselves

158
00:10:26,440 –> 00:10:28,120
with humility toward one
another.

159
00:10:28,120 –> 00:10:31,520
Because God opposes the proud,
but shows favor to the humble.

160
00:10:32,200 –> 00:10:35,600
Humble yourselves, therefore,
under God’s mighty hand, that He

161
00:10:35,600 –> 00:10:40,960
may lift you up in due time.
Cast all your anxiety on Him,

162
00:10:40,960 –> 00:10:43,960
because He cares for you.
Verse 8.

163
00:10:44,360 –> 00:10:51,080
Be alert and of sober mind.
Don’t just be alert but of sober

164
00:10:51,080 –> 00:10:52,840
mind.
Your enemy, the devil, prowls

165
00:10:52,840 –> 00:10:55,560
around like a roaring lion
looking for someone to devour.

166
00:10:56,000 –> 00:10:59,000
Resist him, standing firm in the
faith because you know that the

167
00:10:59,000 –> 00:11:02,280
family, believers throughout the
world is undergoing the same

168
00:11:02,280 –> 00:11:08,400
kind of suffering.
Sober minded, I feel like it has

169
00:11:08,400 –> 00:11:13,520
a few parts to it.
One is humility.

170
00:11:14,200 –> 00:11:16,840
You know when somebody says, oh,
that’s a sobering thought.

171
00:11:17,160 –> 00:11:21,120
Something was communicated that
led you to see and understand

172
00:11:21,160 –> 00:11:26,160
that thing in a different way or
to adjust your understanding or

173
00:11:26,160 –> 00:11:30,320
to consider at the very least
consider your understanding.

174
00:11:30,960 –> 00:11:35,520
So sober minded requires
humility that you are willing to

175
00:11:35,520 –> 00:11:40,160
say not just oh, I got to
prepare myself for action, but

176
00:11:40,160 –> 00:11:43,280
to say what action am I
preparing myself for?

177
00:11:43,280 –> 00:11:45,280
Why?
Like what are my motives for

178
00:11:45,280 –> 00:11:47,600
preparing for action?
What is it that I’m hoping will

179
00:11:47,600 –> 00:11:50,160
happen?
Sober minded positions us to

180
00:11:50,160 –> 00:11:54,880
humbly say, am I seeing this in
a healthy way?

181
00:11:55,680 –> 00:11:59,960
Am I engaging this in a healthy
way and is my pursuit healthy?

182
00:12:01,000 –> 00:12:04,360
And then sober minded
necessitates wisdom.

183
00:12:04,360 –> 00:12:09,040
James, 15, says anyone who
desires wisdom can ask God for

184
00:12:09,040 –> 00:12:10,320
it and he is happy to provide
it.

185
00:12:11,200 –> 00:12:15,480
Sober minded cannot just
function solely on knowledge and

186
00:12:15,480 –> 00:12:18,400
information because if you are
not sober minded, then you can

187
00:12:18,680 –> 00:12:21,840
twist and contort that knowledge
and information to fit your

188
00:12:21,840 –> 00:12:25,800
mindset, to fit your agendas, to
fit your hopes, to fit your

189
00:12:25,800 –> 00:12:28,560
fears, often times without
realizing you’re doing it.

190
00:12:29,040 –> 00:12:31,360
We’ve all seen that happen
around us before.

191
00:12:32,000 –> 00:12:36,800
It may be happening to us now.
So knowledge is not enough.

192
00:12:36,800 –> 00:12:40,000
Wisdom helps you know what to do
with the knowledge that you have

193
00:12:40,000 –> 00:12:42,800
received.
So what’s our invitation here?

194
00:12:43,520 –> 00:12:49,320
We are invited to set our hope.
Not on hearing now things, not

195
00:12:49,320 –> 00:12:53,560
on things that will fade away.
To set your hope fully on the

196
00:12:53,560 –> 00:12:56,320
grace that will be brought to
you at the revelation of Jesus

197
00:12:56,320 –> 00:12:59,600
Christ.
Set our hope fully on something

198
00:12:59,600 –> 00:13:02,400
bigger than us, bigger than our
understanding, bigger than our

199
00:13:02,400 –> 00:13:04,680
time frame.
And how do we do that?

200
00:13:05,160 –> 00:13:08,080
By preparing.
Preparing our minds for action

201
00:13:08,720 –> 00:13:12,320
and being super minded.
We have an invitation to a hope

202
00:13:12,320 –> 00:13:16,880
greater than we realize, and we
have a responsibility to be

203
00:13:16,920 –> 00:13:20,920
mindful and humble around
engagement first.

204
00:13:20,920 –> 00:13:24,560
Peter 113.
Therefore, preparing your minds

205
00:13:24,560 –> 00:13:30,640
for action and being sober
minded, set your hope fully on

206
00:13:30,640 –> 00:13:34,800
the grace that will be brought
to you at the revelation of

207
00:13:34,840 –> 00:13:37,160
Jesus Christ.
Father God is just.

208
00:13:37,160 –> 00:13:38,880
Thank you that you are God and
you are good.

209
00:13:39,720 –> 00:13:43,800
I thank you that you invite us
to the hope greater than we

210
00:13:43,800 –> 00:13:48,080
realize, hope greater than we
understand, the hope beyond what

211
00:13:48,080 –> 00:13:51,960
we can comprehend or desire
we’re going to pursue in our own

212
00:13:51,960 –> 00:13:54,200
efforts.
You invite us to set our hope

213
00:13:54,600 –> 00:13:58,280
fully on something beyond us.
And we acknowledge that that is

214
00:13:58,280 –> 00:14:01,360
hard for us because we are often
inactive.

215
00:14:01,480 –> 00:14:04,880
We are often afraid, and we are
often not sober minded.

216
00:14:05,600 –> 00:14:09,480
Our minds are actually often
guided by so much.

217
00:14:10,120 –> 00:14:12,280
So Holy Spirit, we invite you to
guide our minds today.

218
00:14:12,800 –> 00:14:15,560
We invite you to move.
And finally, God, we do pray

219
00:14:15,560 –> 00:14:18,320
that we would come to understand
more deeply this greater hope.