Hope to the World

By Steve Backlund

I love the song, “Joy to the World”. I remember singing it at Christmas in 1975 after I had become a believer in Jesus earlier that year. I finally understood what it and other powerful Christmas songs meant. It moved me so much. My eyes and heart were opened to the true meaning of the season. 

“Then the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11). My prayer is that you all will be gripped like never before by God’s gift of His Son Jesus. 

The birth of Jesus creates massive hope, not only for eternity but also for our lives here on earth. His life, death on the cross, and His resurrection create victory in this life as well. Through this victory, “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13-14). And He “disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it” (Colossians 2:15). These truths bring great hope to the world for those who believe. 

I have just finished writing a book called Igniting Hope in 40 Days. It is a devotional with practical insights on how to access great hope for this coming year. We are using this book as part of our online devotional event, 40 Days of Hope, starting on January 3rd which includes a short video from me, declarations, and a coordinating verse to meditate for each of the forty days. This could be the best New Year’s resolution you could make for the coming year because what we believe is ultimately more important than what we do. You can find out more info here. 

Here are the titles for each of these catalytic forty days. I cannot tell you how excited I am about getting this content into the hearts and minds of everyone possible. 

• I Am Repenting to Glistening Hope
• Problems are Opportunities to See How Big God is
• There Are No Hopeless Situations: Part 1
• There Are No Hopeless Situations: Part 2
• Overcoming Pessimism
• Celebrate Progress, Not Perfection
• More Reasons to Celebrate Your Progress
• Promises That Ignite Biblical Optimism 
• God is Working Even When We Don’t See It 
• Wake Up to Good Beliefs
• Magnify God, Not the Problem
• Go Against the Flow of Unbelief
• Why You Can Be Radically Encouraged Now 
• Change Your Self-Talk With These Five Phrases
• Change The Channel 
• Staying on the Right Channel 
• Defeating the Crippling Effects of Perfectionism
• Overcoming Disappointment 
• From Victimhood to Victory 
• Key Targets for Victorious Declarations
• Kingdom Mindsets for Powerful Beliefs 
• Do Not Withdraw Your Faith
• Great Confidence in Hope Part 1
• Great Confidence in Hope Part 2 
• How to Have a Joy-Filled Day 
• 3 Things Not to Do When Feeling Like a Failure 
• 5 Steps To Radical Mind Renewal 
• 5 Lies About World Events
• “I’m Winning Too”
• Feelings Don’t Validate Truth, They Validate What We Believe
• Five Excuses of a Victim Mindset 
• The Lid is Off
• Should I Feel Good About Myself?
• Hope-Filled Bible Reading
• The Snoopy Anointing 
• 5 Life-Changing Beliefs 
• 4 Spiritual Reasons We Are Tired 
• 4 Ways to Defeat Passivity in Your Life
• Perseverance in Promotion
• Four Truths to Believe About Your Future 

Be blessed this Christmas and as you start the new year. We are praying great blessings over you and your family.