Daily Dose of Hope from New Hope

New Hope Church
  • 5.0 (12)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Daily

The Daily Dose of Hope is a devotional intended to provide context and reflection to the New Hope Church Bible Reading Plan. It's our goal to read the Bible in a year together as a family of faith. Five days a week we read. Two days a week we either rest or catch up. Reading the Bible is the number one way to grow in our walk with Jesus. We have to know God's Word to live God's Word. Now for our Daily Dose of Hope.

  1. 3h ago

    July 3, 2026; 2 Kings 3 + Going Deeper Discussion with Emmy Roberts

    Daily Dose of Hope July 3, 2026   Scripture: 2 Kings 3   Prayer:  Holy God, We come before you today in humility and awe.  You are a good God.  You, who put the stars and planets in motion, also created us.  You care about the most minute details of our lives.  You have numbered the hairs on our head.  Thank you for loving us.  Thank you for caring so much.  Help us be put even a small reflection of your love toward those around us.  More of you and less of me, Jesus.  Amen.   Welcome to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope daily Bible reading plan.  This summer, we are working our way through 1 & 2 Kings.  Today's reading is 2 Kings 3 and we will have our weekly discussion with Emmy Roberts, youth and next gen lead for New Hope.   While Elisha had clearly taken the place of Elijah in serving as the Lord's prophet to Israel, he had yet to prove himself.  We see God speak clearly and powerfully through Elisha.  There is a fair amount of drama in this chapter.  It begins by introducing Joram, Ahab's son, who succeeded him as king of Israel and while not as wicked as Ahab, Joram was still a sinful king.    Then, the narrative focuses on an issue with Moab, which has decided to no longer pay tribute (in the form of sheep) to Israel.  This angers Joram so he partners with Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, to squash the Moabite rebellion.  But their joint armies soon run out of water and food.  In order to figure out what's going on, Jehoshaphat asks for a prophet of the Lord to shed light on the situation.  This is when Elisha is called in.  It's clear that Elisha has significant animosity toward Joram.  He knows he is a sinful king who does not honor the Lord and he really doesn't want to offer his advice.  The presence of Jehoshaphat, a man of God, calms him down and he finally agrees to offer prophecy.   God speaks powerfully through Elisha, saying that he will fill the land with pools of water so they can all drink.  That is exactly what happens.  Water fills the land by morning time.  In an interesting twist, the Moabites see the sun hit the water and believe that the pools are filled with blood, thinking the armies of Israel and Judah have slaughtered each other.  So the Moabites are caught off guard when the two armies (Israel and Judah) rise up and fight. Moab is defeated.   Probably the most distressing aspect of the chapter is the last portion of text.  In a desperate attempt to win, the Moabite king sacrifices his first-born son on the city wall, thinking it may appease the false god Chemosh.  Of course, the Israelites are outraged at the sight.    Evil comes in all forms.  From Joram to the Moabite king, evil is present in our world. From my human perspective, I often wish God would just swoop down and just eliminate all the evil in the world so that suffering and pain could be banished for good.  I mean, God is all-powerful.  But that isn't the way God operates.  Plus, the reality is that we are all a complex mix of good and evil.  It's important for me to remember that God dealt with evil through the quiet strength of the cross.  And we trust that he is still dealing with evil in ways that we can't see or understand.  Eventually, we know that Jesus will return and deal with evil for good.  Until then, we seek to be light in a dark world. Now, listen to the podcast for our going deeper discussion with Emmy. Blessings, Pastor Vicki

    35 min

  2. 1d ago

    July 2, 2026; 2 Kings 2

    Daily Dose of Hope July 2, 2026   Scripture: 2 Kings 2   Prayer:  Almighty God, We give you glory and praise.  Thank you for the ways you care for us.  Thank you for the ways you care for our church.  Lord Jesus, help us set aside our scattered thoughts.  Help us push away distractions and truly focus on you.  In these next few moments of silence, Lord, hear our prayers...Holy Spirit, guide our reading and devotional time today.  May we hear a word from you.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope daily Bible reading plan.  We have now finished 1 Kings and we have started 2 Kings.  We are witnessing that Israel's prosperity depends on obedience to the Lord and they are struggling with obedience!   It's also been fascinating learning about the prophets who are diligently trying to steer the kings in the right direction.    Our reading for today is 2 Kings 2.  Here, we find Elijah taking his mentee/student on a farewell tour to greet the prophets at Bethel, Jericho, and Gilgal.  Elijah will soon leave the earth; that much is repeated multiple times.  It almost seems that Elijah wants to take this final journey alone but Elisha insists on staying with his master.    As the chapter progresses, Elijah is taken to heaven and Elisha becomes the one in charge.  Some thoughts:   -The Elijah and Elisha relationship is a really special one. Elijah has mentored and poured himself into the younger student.  As a result, Elisha is now ready to lead.  Who might God be calling you to mentor?   -Godly leadership often involves making hard decisions and sacrifices.  We have seen that in Elijah's ministry and we will soon see it in Elisha's ministry.  Is God calling you to a hard decision?  Has he asked you to make a sacrifice for his Kingdom and you are dragging your feet or hesitant?   -Godly leadership is repaid in unexpected ways. Elijah and Elisha had a bond and were very much dedicated to God and one another.  They were like father and son. Elijah's ministry bore much fruit in unexpected ways over his years as a prophet.  In the end, God brought him directly into heaven–no long, extended dying process.  Godly leadership is hard but it also has many rewards.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

    4 min

  3. 2d ago

    July 1, 2026; 2 Kings 1

    Daily Dose of Hope July 1, 2026   Scripture: 2 Kings 1   Prayer:  Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful. And kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And you will renew the face of the earth. Lord, by the light of the Holy Spirit you have taught the hearts of your faithful. In the same Spirit help us to relish what is right and always rejoice in your consolation. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope daily Bible reading plan.  This summer, we've been working our way through 1 & 2 Kings.  Yesterday, we finished 1 Kings and today, we begin 2 Kings.  I would love to hear your feedback.  What did you learn from the book of 1 Kings?   Our reading for today is 2 Kings 1.  We immediately find that the clash between Elijah, a prophet of Yahweh, and the Israelite monarchy continues.  Despite past warnings, Ahaziah, the king of the Northern Kingdom, is worshiping and consulting with other gods. Thus, Yahweh, the one true God will continue to demonstrate that he is supreme.   In today's chapter, Yahweh demonstrates his power and supremacy through the sending of fire. The king has become injured and wants to see if he will recover from his injury. He sends some messengers to consult the god, Baal-Zebub, to provide guidance on his recovery. One has to stop and wonder what in the world he was thinking. Why is he intentionally snubbing Yahweh to consult a false god?   His messengers are met by Elijah the prophet who expresses God's anger at the situation. Through Elijah, God makes it clear that Ahaziah will not recover but rather will die in his bed. In an attempt to get more clarity (or possibly a new prophecy), the king sends several groups of soldiers to summon Elijah. The first two groups are consumed by fire.   Ahaziah, clearly not learning the lesson, sends a third group. This group pleads for mercy from Elijah, as they know their lives are in danger. They are allowed to live, Elijah addresses the king, and Ahaziah dies shortly after.   What are we to make of this? I don't understand why the king of Israel insisted on consulting Baal rather than Yahweh. But what I do know is that God wants us to always consult him first.  When we are in trouble, instead of trying to figure it out ourselves, God desires that we reach out to him FIRST. God loves us, God truly wants the best for us, and God wants to lead us in his direction. We may think we are so much better than Ahaziah but in many ways, we do exactly the same thing. We may not consult a false god, but we try to do life on our own. Yet, we have a God who is powerful and good. Seek God first. Listen. Obey.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

    5 min

  4. 3d ago

    June 30, 2026; 1 Kings 22

    Daily Dose of Hope June 30, 2026   Scripture: 1 Kings 22   Prayer: Amazing God, thank you for giving us life in Christ Jesus.  We ask you to continue to strengthen us in Jesus Christ, driving roots deep into the soil of who he is, your Son. May the Holy Spirit well up thankfulness in our hearts to overflowing every day. Thanks be to God through Christ Jesus. Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope daily Bible reading plan.  This summer, we've been working our way through 1 & 2 Kings.  Today, we have come to the final chapter in the book of 1 Kings. You made it!  While the story is far from over, I hope these past few weeks have been insightful for you.  These Old Testament passages are filled with truth, sometimes really hard truth, but well worth our time digesting them and allowing God to speak to us through them.    Today's reading is chapter 22.  In it, we find Ahab, king of Israel, forming an alliance with Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, in order to go to war with Syria (Aram) over the region of Ramoth Gilead. In an effort to ensure they would win, they seek the guidance from the prophets of Israel.  Ahab quickly summons four hundred prophets who claim to speak for Yahweh and enthusiastically proclaim that God will guarantee their victory. Jehoshaphat is a bit wary of these four hundred prophets, as they were most certainly on King Ahab's payroll and willing to say whatever pleased the king.  King Jehoshaphat asked for a true prophet of the Lord.  Ahab is hesitant but has Micaiah summoned to prophecy on the topic as well.  Ahab actually says he hates Micaiah because he never says anything good about him. Rather than take this to heart and consider there may be an issue with his own actions, he simply blames Micaiah. Interestingly, Micaiah prophecies victory for Israel and Judah over Aram but also that Ahab would be killed in battle.  Ahab, with his typical arrogance, dismisses Micaiah with anger but is indeed killed in the battle.  2 Chronicles 18 tells the same story from a slightly different angle. How often do we surround ourselves with people who will tell us what we want to hear?  Obviously, Ahab made a habit of this.  He liked his paid prophets because they petted his ego and agreed with him.  They didn't call him out on his behavior or idolatry.  Micaiah, on the other hand, told it like it was.  I'm wondering if we sometimes do the same.  We hang out with people who tell us what we want to hear or think exactly like we do.  We listen to news and podcasts that reinforce our own ideas.  Do we allow ourselves to be challenged?  I can't help but think that's the importance of constantly digging into God's Word and spending lots of time in prayer.  We need to listen to God so God can share his truth with us.  Sometimes this truth will reinforce what we know or be exactly what we want to hear.  Other times, it will be hard truth that convicts us and points us in another direction.  But this is how God stretches us, grows us, and helps us better reflect Jesus. Do you allow God to challenge and convict you and how? Blessings, Pastor Vicki

    6 min

  5. 4d ago

    June 29, 2026; 1 Kings 21

    Daily Dose of Hope June 29, 2026   Scripture: 1 Kings 21   Prayer:  Abba Father, We come to you today, grateful for your love and care in our lives.  Thank you for your presence and your peace.  Help us to gather our scattered thoughts and set aside distractions so we can focus on what you have for us today.  In the next few moments of silence, Lord, help me be still and know that you are God...We give you all the glory, Lord Almighty.  Amen.    Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope daily Bible reading plan.  This summer, we are working our way through the books of 1 and 2 Kings.  I don't know about you, but these are some hard texts to read.  The sin of the kings is unreal.  They are setting up their nations for devastation.  Today's reading is 1 Kings 21.  Up until this point, King Ahab has been evil in the sense that he turned away from God and engaged in idolatry.  Now, he is complicit in brutality as well.  When he doesn't get a nearby vineyard that he desires, he throws a tantrum and allows his wife, Jezebel, to do what she sees fit to ensure the vineyard is his.  Jezebel, with no hesitation or remorse, devises a plan to ensure that the rightful owner of the vineyard is killed.  The vineyard now belongs to King Ahab.  Not surprisingly, this angers the Lord.  God declares that the line of Ahab will be destroyed and that his wife, Jezebel, will be killed and eaten by dogs (which would be considered incredibly horrific because there could be no proper burial).   At this, we see a drastic change in Ahab. He actually shows remorse.  He puts on sackcloth and fasts; he humbles himself before the Lord.  This appears to be the first positive thing that Ahab has ever done.  God takes notice.  God decides to push back the destruction of Ahab to future generations.  You see, God always wanted to get Ahab's attention and have him turn from his evil ways.  He never wanted Ahab to be destroyed, simply transformed into a Godly king like David.  He wanted Ahab's heart to genuinely change.  God is incredibly merciful, always looking for way to redeem, always willing to give second chances.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

    4 min

  6. Jun 26

    June 26, 2026; 1 Kings 20 + a going deeper discussion with Emmy

    Daily Dose of Hope June 26, 2026   Scripture: 1 Kings 20 + our discussion with Emmy   Prayer:  Holy and Almighty Father, We come to you today with humble hearts.  We know we are broken and need you.  We are weak.  We are vulnerable to temptation.  Lord, fill us with your strength.  Give us your stamina and wisdom.  We can't do this life without you, Lord.  It's in the powerful name of Jesus we pray, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope daily Bible reading plan.  We are currently working our way through the book of 1 Kings.  Today, we are reading 1 Kings 20 and we will have our weekly discussion with Emmy Roberts, our youth and next gen lead, answering questions and going deeper into this week's chapters. In Chapter 20, we read about how Syria, a long-time enemy of Israel, is once again threatening to invade. In fact, Syria's king, (along with a coalition of thirty-two other kings) makes demands on Ahab to avoid a fight.  Ahab agrees to give money, women, and children to Ben Hadad if they will retreat.  When the king of Syria and his coalition also demand that they be allowed to pillage and loot the palaces of Ahab's officials, King Ahab refused.  They will fight rather than surrender.  Interestingly, we see God sending a prophet to Ahab who tells him that God will help Israel defeat the vast army of the Syrian coalition.  Why in the world would God do this, considering Ahab's blatant disobedience and evil over the past few chapters?  Because of this: God wants King Ahab to know that Yahweh is the Lord. God continues to give Ahab chances to turn from his old ways and serve the one true God.  Our God is a God of second, third, and fourth chances. He wants a relationship with each of us.  As we finish the chapter, we see that God does in fact save the nation of Israel.  But Ahab is disobedient once again.  This will be his undoing. Now, join us for our going deeper discussion with Emmy Roberts. Blessings, Pastor Vicki

    25 min

  7. Jun 25

    June 25, 2026; 1 Kings 19

    Daily Dose of Hope June 25, 2026   Scripture:  1 Kings 19   Prayer: Holy God, We come before you this morning in awe of your blessings and love.  Thank you, Lord, for the ways you continue to guide our lives.  Lord, we want more intimacy with you.  We are desperate to know you better.  In these next few moments of silence, Jesus, please speak to us.  We need to hear your voice...  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope daily Bible reading plan.  This summer, we are working our way through the Old Testament books of 1 & 2 Kings.  Today's reading is 1 Kings 19. This is a great chapter.  Elijah has been doing God's work and things have gotten really hard and really scary.  After he kills the prophets of Baal, Ahab's wife, Jezebel, decides that Elijah needs the same fate.  This is kind of the last draw for him.  He sits down and tells God that he wants to die.  Enough is enough.  He is tired and depressed.  Maybe you have been there.     But what I love is how God cares for Elijah.  He sends an angel who makes sure that Elijah has food, drink and sleep.  Then, he instructs Elijah that its time he mentors a younger prophet.  He tells him exactly where to go and what to do.  Now, Elisha will come on the scene and provide the support and succession plan that Elijah needs.  When we do God's work, every one of us needs to be sure we are taking care of our physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.  How easy it is to give, give, give, and work, work, work, without taking time for Sabbath and self-care.  Why do pastors burn out so quickly?  Why do some churches have such a problem with turnover?  Because this is not easy work.  In ministry, you give of yourself.  You can feel isolated.  You may deal with a lot of criticism and complaining.  While most of us who make ministry our profession don't get death threats like Elijah, the stress is heavy.  I see this in ministry volunteers as well.  God knew exactly what Elijah needed and he knows what we need.  Rest is huge – Sabbath is essential.  It's actually a commandment, but it's one we too often ignore.  We would never think of ignoring the other commandments, but Sabbath seems to be something we rationalize away.  We can't – we weren't designed to constantly work.  Taking care of our physical bodies and our emotions is also critical.  And what about our spiritual disciplines?  Ministry without abiding with Jesus is not really ministry, it's just doing tasks.  That's a real recipe for burn-out! I also think it's important to think succession plan.  Elijah knew it was time to train up a successor.  None of us are so important that we should think the church or the Kingdom can't get by without us.  It was never about us in the first place!  It's always been about Jesus.  We can all be replaced and it's our job as a leader to find someone to apprentice, to guide, and to mentor.  More on Elijah, Elisha, and Ahab tomorrow. Blessings, Pastor Vicki

    6 min

  8. Jun 24

    June 24, 2026; 1 Kings 18

    Daily Dose of Hope June 24, 2026   Scripture:  1 Kings 18   Prayer:  Holy God, We come before you today rejoicing in your powerful name.  Thank you for who you are and all you do.  Thank you for loving us.  Help us gather our scattered thoughts, help us set aside distractions, and truly focus on you right now.  In these next few moments of silence, Lord, we want to hear your voice...In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope daily Bible reading plan.  This summer, we are working our way through the Old Testament books of 1 & 2 Kings.  While the texts are fascinating, they are difficult!  I would love to hear your feedback.   Today's reading is 1 Kings 18.  God has called Elijah to come face to face with King Ahab once again.  Times are tense–the drought is severe; animals and people are dying.  Ahab blames Elijah for Israel's trouble.  Afterall, in Ahab's mind, Elijah has offended Baal (the Canaanite god of rain) and that is why the rain has stopped.  Elijah, amazingly brave and solid, denies Ahab's claim and turns it around–it's actually Ahab's fault because he has been so disobedient to the Lord, Yahweh, and it is he who is in charge of the rain.   What's interesting to me is that Ahab and the people of Israel were still worshiping Yahweh, but they also were worshiping the Canaanite gods of Baal and Asherah.  Elijah is tasked with challenging Ahab on this issue.  The king can't have it both ways; it's time to choose.  Will he choose the one true God OR the Canaanite gods?  Verse 21 is quite powerful, Then Elijah stood in front of them and said, "How much longer will you waver, hobbling between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him! But if Baal is God, then follow him!"  But the people were completely silent.    Elijah then proposes a contest to demonstrate who is really God–is it Baal or Yahweh?  The prophets of Baal spent hours calling on Baal to light the altar, complete with dead bull and wood, on fire. They dance around it, then begin to cut themselves and allow their own blood to be shed, begging Baal to respond. Not surprisingly, Baal is silent.  But when Elijah calls on Yahweh, the one true God, to light the altar (bull, wood, twelve stones to represent the tribes of Israel, and lots of water), God demonstrates his power in an awesome way.  Everything is consumed in flames and the water is quickly soaked up.  It's only then that the people acknowledge that the Lord is God.   We may think that we're far removed from Ahab and the people of Israel during Elijah's day.  Granted, we probably aren't bowing down to Baal and worshiping Asherah.  But the reality is that we try to serve Yahweh along with other gods as well.  What other gods vie for attention in your life?  Money, power, jobs, family, boats, travel, food, exercise, retirement plans, golf, you get the idea.  There are so many things that we put before God or at least on the same level.  We may think this is harmless but it is insidiously dangerous.  What have you allowed to creep into your life and take on the same level of importance as worship, as ministry, as mission, as Scripture, as tithe, as God? Blessings, Pastor Vicki

    6 min
See All (440)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
12 Ratings

About

The Daily Dose of Hope is a devotional intended to provide context and reflection to the New Hope Church Bible Reading Plan. It's our goal to read the Bible in a year together as a family of faith. Five days a week we read. Two days a week we either rest or catch up. Reading the Bible is the number one way to grow in our walk with Jesus. We have to know God's Word to live God's Word. Now for our Daily Dose of Hope.

Information

More From New Hope Church