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Hope for the Heart is a worldwide biblical counseling, coaching, and caregiving ministry founded by June Hunt in 1986. We’re passionate about helping people
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0:18 From the Hope Center in Plano, Texas, this is Hope in the Night, late night talk radio offering biblical hope and practical help. This program has been on the air for over 30 years helping people, and it's a ministry of0:29 hope for the heart. To find out more about that, you can go to hope for the heart dot org. You can find previous hope in the night programs there on that website, make 1 time or recurring donations, and you can get into0:41 our resource catalog. Well, I'm Tom Petrosky, and I'm here with author and speaker, June Hunt. June, many times people lose hope for a situation or a0:52 season or a couple days, but what is it like to just be hopeless? Just to just really believe that there's no way forward.1:04 Well, I would say it's just no way forward. No, no. That's not what you were looking for. Okay. I1:16 think let's look at what hope is. Hope is we have 2 types of hope, cultural hope and Christian hope.1:30 But both of them are a optimistic desire that something will be fulfilled. That's cultural hope. And then Christian hope1:42 is an optimistic assurance that something would be fulfilled. And this hope is a it's guaranteed1:53 hope because it's anchored in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and every promise that's in the word of God. Now,2:05 hopelessness is characterized by absolute despair with no expectation of good.2:17 The Bible refers to those who have a hope that perishes in Job 8 13, such is the destiny of all who2:28 forget God, so perishes the hope of the godless. And we see other passages that2:41 definitely show well, here you have like Paul in Acts 27 verse 20.2:54 Neither sun nor stars appeared for many days. This was an actual situation. He admitted neither3:06 sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging. We finally gave up all hope of being saved. Now they were saved, but3:19 if they gave up hope, that means they felt absolutely hopeless. Now, the tragedy is3:33 hopelessness can result in a desire to die. Those who feel hopeless are unable to envision any viable3:45 option for their problems, Death seems the only solution. However, the Bible says there is always hope.3:57 In fact, Ecclesiastes 9 verse 4, this is a really important scripture, anyone who is among the living has hope.4:09 I have quoted that to a number of people who are suicidal, and I tell them, want you to write out this4:20 scripture, it's very short, and I want you to read it in the morning, sometime during the day, and then before you go to bed.4:33 Anyone who is among the living has hope.4:38 You may need to be giving that to someone. You might want to write it down as you listen just because this may be very4:50 it's like a lifeline of of that you throw someone when they're in the water and they could drown. But5:02 this scripture could be a lifeline like that in Ecclesiastes 9 verse 4. Anyone who is among the living has hope.5:15 And the point here is our God is the God of life, and he5:27 knows our last day. He decides when that last day is. My point is all the Bible5:39 says, all the days ordained for me were written in his book before 1 of them came to be. That's Psalm 1395:51 verse 16. So what we need to understand is as long as we are alive, there is6:03 great potential for God using us in a very specific way. It could be to help somebody else. It could be to6:15 rekindle what we need for our own lives. I think the point is there's much that is said about hope. And the6:27 bible says, in fact, this is Jesus. This is the god speaking. He says, I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you, not to harm you,6:39 plans to give you hope and a future. So God knows what will give us hope in our lives, and that is his plan6:51 for us to have hope. So don't give up hope.7:00 Do you ever struggle to believe that God loves you, that he accepts you, forgives you, and sees you as his precious beloved child? So many people have distorted picture of God that he is distant,7:12 disappointed, or doesn't care about what's going on in our lives. The truth is, God cares about you more than you know. We want to encourage you to check out June Hunt's popular devotional, Seeing Yourself Through7:24 God's Eyes. In this 31 day devotional, June Hunt provides compassionate, biblical insight to help you understand and embrace the life changing identity you have in Christ.7:35 Each day provides a biblical truth along with a short reflection and journaling questions to help you see yourself through God's eyes. We give this devotional to every caller on hope in the night because it has7:47 changed so many lives over the years. Get a copy of June Hunt's devotional for yourself or a loved 1 at June Hunt dot org. That's June Hunt dot o r g.8:00 Are you the person everyone turns to when they're hurting? If that's you, then you know how heavy that responsibility can feel even when it's your heart to help. You spend so much time caring for others, and8:12 we want to care for you. That's why we created the Hope Together Conference. We'd love for you to join us this fall in person or online for a 3 day experience designed to encourage, equip, and8:23 refresh people like you who help others. You can learn more and sign up today at hope together dot com.8:30 If you're facing a challenge and need some encouragement, check out heart8:34 heart8:36 heart8:36 of8:40 heart8:47 transformation. Check out Hope Talks today on Apple, Spotify, and wherever you listen to your favorite podcast. You can also text the word talks to 7 0 9 1 9 to learn more.9:17 Welcome back to Hope in the Night. If you have questions about our topic tonight or would like to order resources, reach out to our support team. June was just reading from our Keys for Living book on hope. It's called9:29 hope, the anchor of your soul. And if you'd like to get that or any of our other resources in your hands, call 1 804 8 8 hope. You can text support to 7 0 9 1 9, or you9:41 can go in your, web browser to hope for the heart dot org, click on store, and just start ordering. So if you need assistance, call us, text us. If you know what you're looking for, start clicking. So9:53 right now, we're gonna welcome a return caller to the program. Let's welcome back Jeff to open the night.9:59 Hey, Jeff.10:00 Well, hello. How are you?10:02 Well, it's great to hear your voice.10:05 Well, it's great to actually have a voice.10:08 To have a voice. Well, I think as long as you're alive, you're gonna have a voice.10:15 Well, I didn't know this time last year that would be the case.10:20 You know, I remember words that you spoke.10:26 Right.10:27 You said even God can't rescue me from my current condition. You said I'm doomed no matter which way I turn. I'm reading your words that you had said10:39 to me, I beg God every day to take my life.10:43 I remember.10:45 Wow. Okay.10:47 May I may may but put that way, father. May I quote a scripture? It's a short verse.10:55 Absolutely. Sure.10:57 Thank you. Psalms 30 verse 5. For his anger endureth but a moment, and his favor is life. Weeping may endure for11:09 a night, but joy comes with11:12 Comes in the morning. Yes.11:14 Praise the Lord for that. I never realized how much truth was in his word until I went through the valley that I went through. But I11:26 and I'm not as I've told a friend of mine, I'm not quite to the point yet where I can thank him for the valley, but I feel myself getting closer to that11:37 point every day.11:41 You know, you you you pointed out something. Many times, we have a perspective as we get farther11:53 away from a tragedy, a deeper trial, and it's like when when God says, I know the plans12:05 I have for you, plans to prosper you, not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future, he knows how to make that come into reality.12:17 Now we can not cooperate, but the point is this is his plan12:29 that he makes clear to us that we are not hopeless, that we are not without hope. And that means no12:41 matter what it is, he is going to use that circumstance and sometimes it's to give us empathy and compassion for others that we would not have12:52 otherwise.12:54 And sometimes it can get our eyes refocused where they should have been the entire time.13:01 Alright. So Yeah.13:04 I had fallen away from God. I'll admit it. I'll own it. I felt like the only avenue I had were the avenues I could see before me.13:16 And through the past several months, I've been able to see that your opening intro, what you just said, you're exactly right. And13:28 that's why I was that's why I felt it was so important for me to get on your go again because I know you deal with a lot of folks who are going through valleys of the wrong, and I'm here13:40 to tell them it only lasts for a moment. Now god's no respecter of time. We know that. Mhmm. But there's a bright there's a brighter day coming if13:51 we'll just hang on and draw closer to him.13:56 Yes. You you know, I have a saying that sometimes I give to people and that is now is not forever. Now is not14:08 forever. And I'll I'll have I'll say, say that after me. Say it again. Say it again. Because well, just like14:20 I'm looking again at something that you had said. You said, I'm in a mess. Was those were your opening words. And you said, I thought about suicide.14:33 Now that was last year.14:35 But Absolutely.14:36 The the point is the reason people do consider suicide is they typically see no way out.14:46 Right. I was there. Uh-huh. You you you could you could figuratively say that I I live in Memphis. I live in14:57 Memphis, Tennessee. I don't live in Memphis, but I live in a surrounding town. Mhmm. And I've told many folks that my I was on the Memphis Bridge just waiting15:09 for the moment to jump into the Mississippi River. I was literally, both so many times that thought went through my head.15:18 Mhmm.15:19 Cold that water was gonna be when I hit Yes. Was so prevalent on my mind. There was no way out. I was at my wit's end. I didn't know where I was gonna go, what I was gonna do,15:31 but God is faithful. God will get us through it. We just got to hang on.15:39 You know, I'm going to be very candid. Knowing our audience, knowing so many that do call,15:51 sometimes they don't even want to be on the program, but that's where they are. It's like I see no hope. It's like16:03 suicide is the only option. So what would you say to the person right now? Somebody's saying, you're talking about me.16:15 Someone it can be a man, it can be a woman. By the way, the most successful suicides are and I shouldn't use that word. Most that16:26 complete the suicide act are men. There are more females that attempt16:38 a suicidal act, but the most in terms of numbers that they are completed by16:49 men, and I I don't want anyone taking his or her own life.17:01 For the person right now who's saying, look, there is no way out, there is no hope, what would you17:13 say? Let's say it's a man who17:17 May I honor may may I have any candid?17:19 Please. Yes.17:21 A man has more pressure on him than a woman. In my opinion, let me say it again. That is my opinion. A man has more pressure on17:33 him. He used to provide for the family. He used to have a good job to make that happen. I failed, And I'll tell you and I'll tell the world, I failed17:45 in life because I trusted my own good. Well, when17:50 I17:51 tell a man or a woman to find you a curt to get in, A good, godly A good safe thing for no big blast. You a god18:02 fearing, a truth keeping curt to get in. It was whole entire time that I was going through my values, I never lost my18:14 faith. I never stopped listening to the word. I had Jeremiah. I had Tony Evans. I had Chucks 1 Doll. I had them all coming at me because of Bach18:26 radio. You and I talked about that. Richard and Dick Bach radio.18:30 Yes. Yes.18:32 We talked I had that coming in my ear 24 7. I sleep still sleep with an earbud in my ear, and I listened to them throughout the18:40 night. Great.18:42 But but that's not to replace being involved in church. Being involved with god's people, being around you, they18:54 do care. They do love. And I when I went through my experience last year, I felt like the church had turned its back on19:06 me. I don't know if I told you or not. I don't know how much I don't remember how much I told you. But I had I was in a baptist church then. And19:18 when she told me she wanted to divorce, it hit me like a like a boulder of the side of my head. I didn't know where I was going. Didn't know what I was gonna do. We were living in our home.19:30 I was obviously gonna have to leave. Didn't know where I was going. Didn't know anything. And I fell apart in this church, and nobody reached out to me. Nobody called me. Nobody19:41 checked on me. I felt like the church had left me to deal with it on my own. Wish they had. Obviously, that wasn't the church for me. I joined the church19:53 this past Sunday. I started back I fell out of church. I started back to church about 4 months ago looking for the right church. When I found the right Kirk about20:05 3 weeks ago, when I joined at Sunday, another back to Kirk. But this Kirk loved he preached the word. The truth of the word, they love.20:18 I went to lunch with them today. I found the church that I need to be in.20:26 Fantastic.20:28 Yes. They've got to find them a church that's so important. You stressed that to me so many times last year when I talked to you, but I didn't believe it. I felt like I20:39 was getting the word. I'm getting what I need. No. I wasn't. I had to be in his house around his people. That makes a difference for me.20:51 Well, the Bible says it literate20:54 And if I may, forgive me for interrupting.20:56 That's okay.20:57 It won't make the it'll make the difference for everybody. But you referenced verse from Ecclesiastes. What you need to know, and I know21:09 you know your game, you know how you're in the position you're in for a reason. But a person that doesn't believe in the word, a person that doesn't believe in God,21:21 you might as well be quoting French to them because that that verse doesn't that verse is not gonna mean to them what it means to us.21:32 Yeah. What what I was gonna say is there's a reason why specifically it's Hebrews21:44 10 verse 25. A reason why in God's word, it says the Bible says, do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together.21:56 It's talking about be a part of a church fellowship.22:00 Oh, yeah.22:01 And and we are to spur 1 another on in in their lives, and there's there's a role that we need to have.22:13 I'm in a church at and well, I when I 1st got into a biblical church, and the key, I mean, I22:25 I knew nothing about the bible. Had been in a church, you know, for growing up, but there was no nothing about Jesus22:37 as lord and savior, never heard about salvation, never heard about having a changed life through Christ, and so all churches are not equal. That's my point.22:49 Just because it's not just any church, and you qualified it, Jeff, and that was important, and we'll come back about that.23:00 Thanks for listening to Hope in the Night with June Hunt. Sometimes it's hard to stay anchored in God's word. Anxiety, disappointment, uncertainty, and just the busyness of life. They can all pull our attention23:12 away from God's promises. When life gets difficult, it's easy to lose sight of what's true. That's why we'd love to send you our newest resource. It's called Anchored, 50 bible verses on23:23 hope, anxiety, healing, identity, and God's blessings. It's a beautifully designed flipbook of encouraging bible verses that helps keep God's truth in front of you throughout the day. You can keep it on23:35 your desk at work, your nightstand at home, or anywhere you could use a daily reminder of God's promises. We'd love to send you this resource as thanks for your gift to support the ministry of Hope for the Heart.23:47 Your generosity helps put biblical resources into the hands of hurting people. You can give online today at hope for the heart dot org slash give or text the word give to 7 0 9 1 9.24:00 Doctor Eric Scalise here, president of Hope for the Heart. And if you're serving in ministry, you probably know what it feels like to be on the front lines with people who are working through brokenness and24:12 difficult life challenges and struggles. It could be late night phone calls and hard conversations, moments that looks like there's no answers, and yet there you are. So ministry can24:24 be deeply meaningful, but it can also drain you emotionally and in many other ways. That's why we created the Hope Together Conference to pour into people just like you. It's a 3 day24:35 experience designed to encourage, equip, and refresh those who are on the front lines. Maybe you're a pastor, counselor, life coach, ministry leader. Come be part of the conference this fall.24:47 We're gonna have special times of worship, biblical teaching, training, workshops, fellowship with other like minded people just like you. You can learn more and sign up today at hope together dot com.25:17 Welcome back to Hope in the Night. If you're facing a problem, would like to be a guest on the program, call 1 809 17 or text the word caller. Once you do that, our staff will get back to you and we'll find a time where25:29 you can join us. The program happens 11 PM to midnight, Monday through Friday, so that's when you'll need to be available. That's central time, so adjust that if you live somewhere else. That's where you'll need to be25:41 available to come on the program and talk to June. Let's get back to this call with June and Jeff.25:47 June, if I if I may, I'd like to share with you what I shared with the group at lunch this morning. I'll get back.25:55 Fabulous. I'd love to hear it.25:57 God will only woo us back to himself for so long. At some point, he puts his foot down and says, enough. And26:09 he hits us up beside the head with the proverbial bowler, if you will. And that's what happened to me last year. Had I had been a Sunday school teacher. I had been an26:21 assistant pastor. I've served in almost every capacity the church office, but I've gotten away from God. And26:33 I've made a fool of myself with what I've done by getting by I knew better. When my kids were small, I talked I I taught my kids about the Lord. My kids26:45 knew the Bible from Genesis to Revelation in order. My kids knew the apostles. My kids knew the commandments. My kids knew more scripture than most adults that I knew. 1 of the26:56 things I taught my kids was if there's any turning away done, it's us turning away from God because they'll never come away from us. I turned away from27:08 God. I chose my own selfish desires and put them before my relationship with God, and I was made a fool of. God27:20 stopped to woo me back with love and kindness and put his foot down and said, you ran away long you've gotten away from me as far as you're gonna get. It's time to come27:31 back. And the valley that I went through made that happen because I'm closer to God now than I've ever been.27:40 Wow. Well, you know, I'm I'm even looking a year ago, you're27:52 saying, you know, it's it's poignant. You said, even God cannot remedy my situation.28:02 Right.28:02 Are you are you said, I'm doomed. I wish I'd never been born. I'm just look I I wrote down your words that you said. And at the time,28:14 you were dead serious.28:17 I was. Absolutely. As I've said before, I was on the breeze looking into the water just waiting for the opportunity to jump. I was there. I was as low as28:29 I don't see I don't I have listened to your show and the colors that you have and I just can't imagine that anybody could have been any lower28:41 than I was last year when I 1st talked to you. Well Again, I didn't know where I was going, what I was gonna do. I had 0 answers. And I'm a28:53 man. Like you we talked about a while ago. So many expectations are placed on us as men, the provider, the leader, and I spelled in every 129:04 of But you know what? I look back to when my kids were little, when we were going to church, when I was teaching my kids about the Lord, I didn't fail then. I failed when I put my29:16 eyes off of God and decided to go my own way.29:21 What was the what was the motivation for you to move away from that dependence on the Lord?29:35 Quite honestly, I've I've thought about that so many times, and I've ended on 1 thing. God God will not share me. God's gonna be number 1 in my29:47 life and in all of our lives. And when we put anything before him, he's not gonna let us stay for long. My motivation was women. I would get involved29:59 with a woman, and I don't mean this against any woman. It's my fault. I own. It's me. I would get in a relationship with a woman, and I would make her my god.30:11 Would make pleasing her more important than pleasing god.30:19 Wow. Everyone is tempted just in different areas. Right. We can all look back and say, okay, if30:31 anything is going to tempt me, it would be this. And now, like for me, years ago, it was30:43 Cheetos.30:45 I wouldn't mind if that's osample?30:49 That's very light, but what I'm saying is for some it can be a food addiction, but you know, very31:00 honestly I had to I literally I love Cheetos, but I will not eat them because I can't eat just 1.31:10 I understand that. I get that.31:12 And it would be funny because then on rare occasion, Jeff, I would be speaking somewhere31:23 and it you know, let's just make it Memphis because you're near Memphis. And so all all of a sudden, here'd be all31:34 these tables and all the people and let's say it's a luncheon that I'm where I'm speaking, and then they would sometimes put31:46 Cheetos all around including I mean, on all the tables or they would do hunts, like hunts tomatoes, hunts ketchup,31:58 all this because my last name is Hunt. Now, my family has nothing to do with in fact, I had people come up to me and say, June, I have quit32:10 using Heinz ketchup because of you, I'm now only buying Hut's and the 1st time anybody did that, I don't mean to get offShow more
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