Never Lose Hope – Podcast Episode 38

Natural Living Family Podcast, Episode 38 Transcript – Never Lose Hope

The contents of this presentation are for informational purposes only and are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This presentation does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

 

[0:00 – 0:54] Prelude to Never Lose Hope

Dr. Z: I mean we had a final version of the film. We had a final version of the film that we had finished.

Mama Z: Yea, that I never saw.

Dr. Z: Don’t get me started on that because you’re such a big part of the movie, and you won’t even watch it.

Mama Z: You know, you made me cry.

Dr. Z: What do you mean I made you cry? No, I’m not a monster. You’ve got to qualify. Listen, you’ve got to explain things when you say things. You just drop things. And it’s like, “What do you mean, I made you cry?” Like I pinched you?

Mama Z: You know, you got all kinds of emotion out and stuff.

Dr. Z: You mean when I interviewed you?

Mama Z: Yes.

Dr. Z: Okay. All I did was ask you questions. I said how are you, and you’re like, “Boo hoo!”

Mama Z: That is not the case. That is so not the case.

Dr. Z: I didn’t make you cry. It was an emotional topic. One of your best friends got cancer.

Mama Z: I know. And you know,

Dr. Z: Are you going to watch the film?

Mama Z: I’ll watch the film.

 

[0:55 – 1:27] Intro to Never Lose Hope

Dr. Z: Hi! This is Dr. Z.

Mama Z: And Mama Z. And welcome to episode 38 of the Natural Living Family podcast.

Dr. Z: Each week we invite you into our home to talk about how you can master the art and science of natural living. And we share the same tips our family uses every day to enjoy an abundant life. And you’re going to love today’s talk.

Mama Z: So, come on in and get comfortable. After all, you’re one of the family, our natural living family.

Dr. Z: But before we dive into all the fun, we’re excited to invite you to a special event.

 

[1:28 – 2:55] Special Invitation: Hope for Breast Cancer

Mama Z: Within the past few years, we’ve lost Eric’s grandma, as well as my aunt, brother-in-law, and one of my best friends to various forms of cancer.

Dr. Z: All the while, several of our closest friends and family members received that horrifying diagnosis everyone dreads to hear.

Mama Z: So, we’ve decided to partner with our friends at Cancer Tutor to do our part to help you not go through what we’ve experienced.

Dr. Z: For the past eighteen months, Natural Living Family and Cancer Tutor have been busy working on a film project to bring awareness to people that there is truly hope for cancer. We sponsored a stage 2 breast cancer patient to receive non-toxic therapies for one year and have documented her progress along the way.

Mama Z: This story gives a candid look at her journey through integrative cancer treatments. And we want to give you a special access pass to watch the movie before we submit it to film festivals and online streaming services.

Dr. Z: We cordially invite you to a special screening of the global premiere that will air this coming November 6.

Mama Z: Simply go to HopeforBreastCancer.com (that’s h-o-p-e-f-o-r breast cancer, dot com) to reserve your spot today. And you’ll get instant access to some of the behind the scenes footage and some other amazing goodies.

Dr. Z: We believe there is hope for breast cancer. And we invite you on our mission to help stop this epidemic.

Dr. Z: Well, hey there everyone. Welcome to the show, episode 38, titled “Never Lose Hope.” That’s deep. We’re going to get a little deep today. Can we get a little deep today?

Mama Z: We can. You’ve been deep all day.

 

[2:56 – 9:52] More on Hope for Breast Cancer

Dr. Z: Hey, hey, hey. We’re coming off the heels of “Prepping for Flu Season.” So, it’s like we’re kind of doing a little bit of hey, let’s talk about

Mama Z: Practical life-giving.

Dr. Z: It’s all life-giving now.

Mama Z: I mean it always is.

Dr. Z: I’m just really excited about this one, because Chris and I have been living and breathing the whole Hope for Breast Cancer documentary. And as we speak, we are finalizing the film.

Mama Z: Yes.

Dr. Z: Finalizing the end credits, the little nuances and stylistic stuff. Like Chris and I have already talked about it. We’re probably going to go through like four versions of the film.

Mama Z: So, how do you feel as film director?

Dr. Z: I like it. It’s fun.

Mama Z: It’s nice to see your creative juices flowing, besides just like painting and stuff like that. This is very

Dr. Z: Our painting project last week was fun.

Mama Z: Yes. However, it was a two-hour project that you took three hours to do. And I helped you finish your project. But other than that, it was great.

Dr. Z: Those leaves were really detailed.

Mama Z: You definitely took it to the next level, because our friend got done in two hours. But you definitely

Dr. Z: Yea, I don’t know how Brittany did that. She’s quick, the Browns. It was fun. I don’t know what you like to do for a date night, but we like painting. And we went to our local, what was it?

Mama Z: It’s called Project Studio.

Dr. Z: Yes.

Mama Z: And they have all different kinds of things. You can do something themed for your house. Of course, it’s fall. So, we wanted to do something fall. And your amazing art is now on the front door.

Dr. Z: That’s why I felt the pressure. I mean

Mama Z: I said it’s got be door worthy. It’s got to be.

Dr. Z: And where we live, we’ve got a lot of traffic going on.

Mama Z: Well, and I also told you that Isaiah did the one that was currently on the door. Actually, Esther did. I thought Isaiah did it, but Esther did it. And so, they do make sure that when you leave, it is front door worthy. Like there wasn’t that much pressure. You put the pressure on yourself.

Dr. Z: Well, if you live local to Atlanta, go to Project Studio, or local to where you live. It’s kind of cool, this self-guided, but supported DIY place, where you could just do everything.

Mama Z: Yea. And sometimes they have like pottery nights. They sometimes have canvas nights, other things besides these kinds of projects. But I realized that we were a little thin in the fall department. So, that’s why I scheduled a nice fun night for us.

Dr. Z: And it is October 7. So, happy fall everybody.

Mama Z: Yes.

Dr. Z: It’s almost officially fall. And it’s “Breast Cancer Awareness” month.

Mama Z: It’s officially fall.

Dr. Z: And we are about to share a lot more when it comes to the project, The Hope for Breast Cancer project, in a couple of weeks. We actually interviewed Angie, the main protagonist for the film. We interviewed her for the podcast, our very first interview, maybe only interview for the podcast. I don’t know. But it was so special to have her be in town. And it was like great, you know.

Mama Z: And I relistened to that interview, and it was awesome. And I sent it to her, so she could save it.

Dr. Z: She’s so sweet.

Mama Z: And she’s like, “Oh, I wanted to listen to it.”

Dr. Z: She didn’t say no.

Mama Z: She didn’t. I called her out, and she wanted to save it. And I’m like

Dr. Z: But for those of you who have registered for the global premiere

Mama Z: Yes, then you get to hear it. And my mom was like, “I loved it. It was awesome!” My mom was like, “Oh, the video is amazing!”

Dr. Z: So, go to HopeforBreastCancer.com. And when you sign up, reserve your seat for free, for the free 48-hour viewing of this documentary on the thank you page. It says “thank you for registering,” you know, blah, blah, blah. We have several different sneak peek videos that you can see immediately, so you can kind of really dive in. And I don’t want to give it all away, because I want there to be somewhat of a little surprise. There are a lot of surprises in this film, by the way.

But you’re going to love these little clips. Like there’s a dinner scene, because Angie is a recording artist. She has a wonderful voice. And when she came by to interview for the podcast, it was just a week or two after; well, not a week or two. Yea, it was after singing “Amazing Grace” at Barry’s funeral.

Mama Z: Yes.

Dr. Z: And so, I really didn’t know. I had never heard her sing, ever. And you told me she had a powerful voice.

Mama Z: Oh my gosh!

Dr. Z: And you know what’s really funny? Angie, if you’re listening, you’re sweet. And I love your humility. But it’s like, seriously, come on.

Like when I was talking to her about winning pageants, she’s like, “Oh, the only reason why I won a pageant was because I could sing.” I’m like, “No, you’re beautiful. I mean you’re drop dead gorgeous. You’re a great dancer. You can sing, and a great personality.”

Mama Z: Well, she won the pageant because it was another opportunity for her to sing. But

Dr. Z: But she’s beautiful! That’s what I was trying to tell her. And I was like, “No, you’re a beauty queen.” She’s like, “I’m not a model.” In the movie, we had it positioned like she was a model and a professional NFL cheerleader. And she goes, “I’m not a model.” And I’m like, “Yes, you are.” And I showed her pictures she put on Facebook. “You’re a model. When you were like the cheerleader for the NFL, didn’t they put you on calendars and stuff? Like you are a model.” She’s like, “No, I just won pageants because I could sing.” I’m like, “Ah, all right.”

Mama Z: Well, you’re used to dealing with us beauty queen people anyway.

Dr. Z: Yea, high maintenance. Anyway, beautiful, beautiful!

Mama Z: What are you saying?  

Dr. Z: I love you! So, why are we talking about this right now, never lose hope? Because Chris and I have been completely submerged in hope, Hope for Breast Cancer, and Angela’s story, which is a story of hope. So, please, not only dive into the movie and the freebies and all of that, but stay tuned to what we’re going to share this month and next month. It’s powerful.

And you know, it’s “Breast Cancer Awareness” month. It’s October. There’s a lot to be said about NLF football players wearing pink shoes and pink ribbons all over the place. And pink overcomes. Pink takes over our country. And there’s nothing against pink. There’s nothing against the pink ribbon.

But it’s not working right now. The strategy isn’t working. The racing and the walking for the cure isn’t working. And things are getting worse. I mean they’re getting dramatically worse. And it’s scary. It’s really, really scary to see what’s happening when it comes to breast cancer, for men, and primarily women.

And so, I met a lady who, and we can go on such a tangent. And I don’t want to, because I want to—

 

[9:53 – 10:49] Diffuser Reveal: Fun Fall Blend

Mama Z: Well guess what? Before you go on a tangent, I need to tell you what’s in our diffuser.

Dr. Z: Yea, you’ve got to cut me off. See? You got me on the whole breast cancer.

Mama Z: You were long past. You were on to announcements and all that kind of stuff.

Dr. Z: I haven’t even done announcements yet.

Mama Z: Well, you seemed to be announcing some things. You need to talk about—

Dr. Z: It’s a prelude to, a preface to the intro to the chapter of the book.

Mama Z: Well, anyway, do you want to know what’s in our diffuser today?

Dr. Z: That’s nice.

Mama Z: Yes. This is one of our fall blends. This is three drops of tangerine, two drops of cassia, and one drop of clove. So, this is like your classic, orangey, cinnamon, clove-ish fall blend, even though it has, obviously, different elements. And if you don’t have tangerine, you could always substitute with any orange. But it is a very fun fall fragrance.

Dr. Z: Yay!

 

[10:50 – 15:27] News and Announcements

Dr. Z: Well, here’s the announcement, by the way. If you’re watching on You Tube or Facebook, they are streaming. If you are on our website, we always try to put this up relatively close to when the actual audio podcast comes up. But when you go to NaturalLivingFamilypodcast.com, we have the episodes and show notes. We actually try to put the video version of this. And you’ll see me surrounded by books. The announcement is kind of cool. The Healing Power of Essential Oils is available in Slovak.

Mama Z: Yes.

Dr. Z: I mean we’re nailing the S’s. A couple of weeks ago was Spanish. Now it’s Slovak. Coming up next is Serbian. And then we’ve got P’s and V’s, because Portuguese and Vietnamese, Thai.

Mama Z: My friends that are Vietnamese cannot wait. So, they are hoping. They have the copy. They bought all the copies of the English version. But they’re like, “What, Vietnamese? How can we get one?” They’re like, “We tried. We tried to find one. And like we can’t get it in Vietnamese.” So, they’re hoping

Dr. Z: Coming soon. Does that mean I have to sign the book in Vietnamese? I don’t know how to like sign anything. I love it!

Anyway, I can’t wait. Seriously, in the next year-and-a-half, there’s going to be like nine languages. We’ve totally got like a cool glass case. We’ll have Mike, our handyman, do something. Anyway, I love it, love it! Okay.

Mama Z: We’ll research that when he comes.

Dr. Z: So, as Chris and I really are diving deep into this story. Again, this is really the second . . . I mean we had a final version of the film. We had a final version of the film that we had finished.

Mama Z: Yea, that I never saw.

Dr. Z: Don’t get me started on that, because you’re such a big part of the movie, and you won’t even watch it.

Mama Z: You know, you made me cry.

Dr. Z: What do you mean I made you cry? No, I’m not a monster. You’ve got to qualify. Listen, you’ve got to explain things when you say things. You just drop things. And it’s like, “What do you mean, I made you cry?” Like I pinched you?

Mama Z: Well, you know, you got all kinds of emotion out and stuff.

Dr. Z: You mean when I interviewed you?

Mama Z: Yes.

Dr. Z: Okay. All I did was ask you questions. I said, “How are you?” And you’re like, “Boo hoo!”

Mama Z: That is not the case. That is so not the case.

Dr. Z: I didn’t make you cry. It was an emotional topic. One of your best friends got cancer.

Mama Z: Hey, I know. And you know,

Dr. Z: Are you going to watch the film?

Mama Z: I’ll watch the film.

Dr. Z: When?

Mama Z: Probably I will watch it with Angie, like her night together.

Dr. Z: How is that going to happen? Whatever.

Mama Z: I’m going to take a road trip. I’m going up to Nashville.

Dr. Z: Going to Nashville.

Mama Z: I’ve got to see my friend.

Dr. Z: I know. She’s in Nashville, and we’re in Atlanta. We’ll make it happen.

Mama Z: Yes. She has driven down here.

Dr. Z: So, as Chris and I dive deep in this film, and we basically have a final version about six months ago that we had. It was a good working version. More developments happened. Actually, a couple of really key developments happened in Angie’s story after we interviewed her for the podcast, which was in April, right? Chris, was it April, March? Yea.

So, again, here’s the thing about documentaries. You know, they don’t end. I mean the story never ends. Even in death, the stories don’t end with documentaries. When you look at someone’s story, their legacy continues on, right? And so, with the story, it’s continuing. I mean Angie is alive and well. And things . . . I mean we were supposed to be officially done a year ago. And then it’s like, “Oh, something else happened. Oh, okay.” And then something else happened. And something else happened.

But the theme, the consistency was she never lost hope. She never lost hope of really beating cancer, getting well, finding a purpose and mission in life. And I don’t want to take away all the things you’re going to listen to when you hear her interview in a couple of weeks. But my heart has just been tugged. When I woke up this morning, I was like, “Lord, what do you want us to talk about?” And I just believe God was like, “Talk about hope. Never lose hope.”

And there are people right now, there are people right now who are broken-hearted. Some of our natural living family members are sick, literally sick. They’re diseased. Their body is ill. Some are full of despair. Some are on the verge of losing their home, their job, their family, their marriage. Maybe some of you are on the verge of losing your life. We want to say, “Never lose hope.”

Mama Z: That’s right.

 

[15:28 – 20:28] Testimonial Time!

Dr. Z: That is the very long preface, introduction, prelude, to what we’re going to talk about today. But before we do, we always like to do this now. It’s really fun. And I kind of thought this was kind of fitting, somewhat fitting for today’s talk, to give a shout out to Joy1964, who left us a review.

And I love that, by the way. We really, really like reading these. And I love sharing them in this show, because you take the time to write a review, and I think you should be acknowledged. And we appreciate you. We’ve got a lot of them. We’ve got like 250 or 260 now, almost 275 reviews or something like that. So, we can’t read them all. But we’re plugging away, one by one by one.

This is from Joy1964. She says, “Helpful, uplifting, informative.” She gives five stars. Thank you! We really appreciate that. We really do. And here’s what Joy says. “Your podcasts are like hanging out with friends, who love and share their passion with you. It’s infectious,” she says. “But not in the way that you need an oil for that.” That’s actually kind of cute.

Mama Z: Yea.

Dr. Z: We’re going to be hanging out for a minute here. Okay? We’re going to be hanging on for just a minute. And we want you to know that you’re loved, that you’re appreciated, and never lose hope. So, if you can’t tell, I’m kind of going to take the lead on this one. The last episode, Mama Z took the lead, because it was all about prepping for flu season.

Mama Z: Although you always have a good nugget or two to add to those types of things.

Dr. Z: Well, you know, I did write the book.

Mama Z: And I wrote recipes.

Dr. Z: Some of them.

Mama Z: So, one thing, the Bible says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick.” But you know, when you look at the Scriptures, God wants us perfect and entire, wanting nothing. And sometimes that takes a season of growth and a season where we are trusting in Him. And we never know what our story will do for somebody else. And we don’t know the whole picture of what God has for us in that season.

So, it’s really important not to lose sight and not to lose hope, as you said, no matter what the circumstances are, whether it’s health, whether it’s finances, or any other area of your life, because God will use anything, not only to help us grow, but also to help other people and inspire other people.

Dr. Z: And I feel the Lord is telling me to pray at the very end, as a tip. So, you know how we do our natural living family tips? We give recipes, we give little hacks, or whatever, little DIY stuff. I’m going to pray. So, just stay tuned.

Or right now, even right now, like right this moment, you’re listening and you’re at your rock bottom and you just want to be prayed for, fast forward to the end, to the natural living family tip. All right, just fast forward and let me pray for you. And then come back here, and let’s finish out the show, because I will be praying. We are going to be praying for you. So, like Sabrina said, okay, first of all.

For those of you who are suffering right now, this verse, I mean it’s kind of interesting, funny, unique, how as a Christian develops, “works out their salvation with fear and trembling,” as the Bible says. As a Christian man or woman, young or old, works out their routine, their meditation, their Bible study plan, like certain verses just stick out. And you talk to some people. You talk to anyone, really, who is in the Word of God, and everyone I’ve always met that love Jesus, that read the Bible, always have a couple of verses that are like their verses, almost like their life verses.

And they change sometimes with seasons. But this Romans 5 verse has been with me for sixteen years. And it’s one that I don’t ever expect to ever leave me. I mean it is, I don’t know why, it’s unique to me. And when I think about hope, we have to read it, because this passage uses the word hope three times. You know, and maybe why, maybe I could see what God did, and what God is doing. Like here I am, twenty-three years old, brand new, single guy in Christ. I read this verse, and it’s like, “Wow!” It just spoke to me.

See, I didn’t have a lot of hope. You know, I didn’t have hope when I was younger. I didn’t have hope that my life would matter. I didn’t have hope that I would be well. I didn’t have hope that I would feel better. I didn’t really have hope that I could fulfill my calling in life.

Mama Z: But what you did have hope was that you were meant for bigger and better things.

 

[20:29 – 27:12] Trusting in the Lord in Troubling Seasons

Dr. Z: Yea, but you know what? That was when I was young. But I lost that hope. And it wasn’t until I met Christ, and then I saw and read this verse. I memorized this verse. I digested this verse. It became me, this passage actually. And so, when I’m talking to the Lord this morning about what we’re going to share today, of course, Romans 5 comes up. So, I am going to read it. And this is Romans 5, verses 1-5:

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.”

Now here’s my favorite part: “Not only so, but we can also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance.” Catch this: “Perseverance produces character, and character produces hope. And hope does not put us to shame.” Or other versions say, “Hope does not disappoint, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit, Who has been given to us.”

Mama Z: And in some verses, the “perseverance” is “patience.” And so, I love looking at both of those translations, because both of them speak to us about different times in our life as we’re waiting for things.

Dr. Z: I recently read a devotional by Oswald Chambers. If you’ve never heard of it, or if you’re looking for a really like wow, impactful, deep look into the Scripture that will just pluck your heart. And this is something, too, whenever I’ve read this devotional. It’s called My Utmost for His Highest. It’s like God speaking.

Mama Z: You’ve been reading that for so long.

Dr. Z: Sixteen years.

Mama Z: Yea.

Dr. Z: And it’s like I go through seasons. I’ll go for a few months where I’ll go on something else. And we’ll thank brother Enoch, my mentor and father in Christ who shared with me. Very few people have as deep and intimate understanding of God and the Scripture like Oswald Chambers, who has been long passed now. And I recently read in the devotional about life circumstances not being designed by God to teach us something, but to develop character.

Think about this. How many times have we heard, “Oh, God is just trying to teach me something?” No, no, no. God is trying to build your character. And that’s very Biblical, because what does this say here? “We rejoice in our suffering, because suffering produces perseverance, which leads to character, which leads to hope. You can have hope. And we’re going to flesh out what hope really is. You can’t have hope, unless you have the proven character, which has been developed by perseverance, and which has been developed by suffering.

God is not trying to teach you something like your A-B-C’s and your 1-2-3’s. “Oh, I just lost my baby. I just lost my job. I’m sick. I have cancer. God is trying to teach me something.” Where did that come from?

Mama Z: Seriously. And God is not trying to punish you either.

Dr. Z: No.

Mama Z: And that’s where like, I don’t know, bad doctrine and stuff comes in. But God is not going to do that kind of stuff.

Dr. Z: And this isn’t about an intellectual endeavor. And this is the key to what Oswald Chambers is trying to say. This isn’t an intellectual endeavor like going to school and learning algebra, calculus, advanced marketing strategies. No, no, no. That does nothing for you. And by the way, you talk to any new graduate who is struggling to find a job, which one of our babysitters is, and what do they say, the people that she is trying to get a job with? “You lack experience.”

Mama Z: Right.

Dr. Z: You lack, essentially, character. You’re brand new. Yes, you have all the head knowledge. But until you have the proven character, until you have the experience, we don’t want you touching our work, because you’re a risk.

Mama Z: Right.

Dr. Z: That’s essentially what they’re saying. And you are a risk at life. You are a risk in relationships. We are a risk in business. We are a risk doing anything, until we have proven character. Look at our kids. Look at Bella. I love Bella. She’s three years old. But she is like

Mama Z: But you don’t know if she is going to come and kiss you or grab your head and head butt you.

Dr. Z: No. I know. But she is courting death all the time. That’s why you babyize your house. That’s why you put your knives a hundred feet up in the kitchen.

Mama Z: Even Elijah, he jumped before he looked.

Dr. Z: I know.

Mama Z: And one time I happened to be walking by the stairs, thank God. He jumped off of the landing. And if I hadn’t walked by and caught him at that time, he would have fallen and hit his head or something. I mean, you know, we don’t know how to handle situations until we have the opportunity to do it.

Dr. Z: So, if you’re suffering right now on any level, you need to just fall on your knees, and you need to just ask the Lord. “Lord, help me persevere. Develop in me the character that I need to have hope, to serve You, to fulfill my mission, to do what You have for me to do.” And I want to finish the end part of the verse that you mentioned earlier, from Proverbs 13.

Mama Z: Yes.

Dr. Z: “Hope deferred makes the heart sick; but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.”

Mama Z: Yes, it is.

Dr. Z: And that is the verse that I wanted to really kick start the whole documentary project, because one thing that Angela did, she never lost hope. And when all odds, when all hell seemed to break loose, when everything seemed to be against her, when disappoint after disappoint, or after whatever it would be, she never lost hope.

But there was a point where her heart was a little sick. And I remember those moments. I remember vividly, before we even started filming, she called me on the phone, and you guys would be crying. You would be crying; she would be crying. And that was very emotional, because

Mama Z: And that’s why you made me cry, because you made me relive some of those things.

Dr. Z: I didn’t make you cry. You’re like blaming me.

Mama Z: You did.

Dr. Z: I’m the crying master over here.

Mama Z: And you know, it’s so emotional, because of us having lost as many people as we have personally, friends and family, to cancer—

Dr. Z: It’s been a lot.

Mama Z: It’s been a lot. And this has been quite a journey.

 

[27:13 – 34:01] Never Lose Hope: A Class on Hope

Dr. Z: So, today’s episode, the rest of it, is going to be a class on hope. So, I want to teach you some things. And basically, I want to let the Bible teach us some things. And I went through, and again, depending on the version of the Bible that you prefer to read, there is roughly 120 to 150 different verses that mention the word “hope.”

Hope is a key, right? Remember what Corinthians says: “These three remain, really after everything. Prophecies will cease. Tongues will stop. All the gifts are going to be gone. But these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

Let’s talk about that, number two. What is hope? Hope is expectation. Hope is eternal. Chill on this for a minute. Hope will leave on as a legacy to our children, our ministry, and the world. Hope will continue through your journey in Heaven.

This is what the Bible says: “When a wicked man dies,” (this is Proverbs chapter 11). “When a wicked man dies, his expectation will perish. And the hope of the unjust perishes.” Think about that. If the hope of the unjust will perish, the opposite of that is the hope of the just will continue, even after death.

Proverbs 23 says, “For surely there is a hereafter,” (there is an afterlife; there is a Heaven). “And your hope will not be cut off.” What you’re hoping for today in Christ will continue through. And why? And we’re going to uncover really what hope is and how. Jeremiah 29, one of the most famous verses. You want to read this one, babe, because I don’t want to read every one?

Mama Z: I would love to.

Dr. Z: You really like this verse.

Mama Z: I like this verse.

Dr. Z: I’ll cover the Proverbs. Proverbs are my jam.

Mama Z: Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

Dr. Z: Jeremiah 29. This is what God wants for us to have, a future and a hope, and knowing our hope will not be cut off, even in the hereafter, right? And that puts things into perspective. When you look at this, that hope is eternal. And hope is essentially expectation. Hope is essentially faith, right?

Now remember, what is faith? Faith is a confidence of what we hope for. It’s the assurance of what we do not see. You can’t have faith without hope. You can’t have hope without faith. And the moral of all of this is this wonderful aspect of expectation. And that’s one thing I really appreciate about being a father, a parent, is seeing that hope, that expectation in our kids. I mean they just expect good things.

You know, they are constantly expecting. Their expectation is for us to bless them, to provide them, to give them everything that they want, everything that they need. And then it’s our job to, “Well, okay, you might want this, but maybe you don’t need. Okay, let’s balance all of that.” But to have that joy in your heart. And we all know. We all see it in the movies at Christmas time. The kids can’t wait. They wake up in the morning, the Christmas tree and all the gifts.

Like what is your hope? What are you hoping for right now? Do you have that childlike faith? Like Jesus says, “You can’t enter the kingdom of God unless you have that child-like faith.” Faith is having that giddy, exciting, youthful expectation that God loves you, that God wants to bless you, that God has a future for you, that God has a hope for you, and that it will not perish ever.

Mama Z: And one thing that pastors a lot of times will say is, “Remember the joy of being a new Christian, or embarking on a relationship with the Lord. Harness that same excitement as you grow into seasons that might be uncertain.”

Dr. Z: That’s good.

Mama Z: Leaving the door open and knowing and expecting that God is going to use this opportunity, not just for His good pleasure; but if you’re a willing vessel, He’s going to use what’s going on with you and give you a platform to be able to reach somebody else. And what the scope of that is, only God knows. And it could be something smaller. It could be something bigger.

But allow God to utilize what goes on, because guess what? Life happens. But being an open vessel allows the opportunity for God to use those situations, to not only help you grow, but other people as well.

Dr. Z: Yep. Like the book of Revelation says, “You’ve lost your first love.” You can’t have hope if you’ve lost your first love. Your first love should be the Lord. Your heart should always be towards the Lord. And that feeling that you’re sharing that passion, that compassion, that just ooey-gooey, “Man, I just love Jesus.”

Mama Z: I just remember the very first time when I was fasting. And I had remembered reading Isaiah 58 and how we’re supposed to save up the food that we would have eaten for the poor. And in our area, I knew that there were homeless people and other people in the area. And I was fasting. And I went every day, and there was nobody out there, nobody homeless. And I had all this amazing stuff to give the poor. And I was so excited! And every day, nobody was out there.

And I mean there were days where there were multiple people. And I couldn’t wait. And it was all because of fasting. And I really wanted to do what the Lord said in His Word. And I’ll tell you, it was like pure joy when I was able to bless people with the things that I had. But I think back and I’m like, God had me wait for a season, just to teach me some patience as well. So, you never know what God is going to do in each and every one of these situations as well.

Dr. Z: Amen! You know, hope has a lot of benefits. Hope is a solution. And I’m convinced it’s actually a solution to many of your health problems. God holds a special place in his heart for those people who have hope. And hope is not contingent on our circumstances, right? And there’s a lot of practical application of how to activate hope. But before we cover that, a quick word from our sponsor.

 

[34:02 – 35:05] Special Invitation: Hope for Breast Cancer

Mama Z: More than half of you listening to this will be affected by cancer at some point in your lives, either personally or through a loved one.

Dr. Z: The first thing that goes through your mind is dread, fear, and the never-ending question, can this be cured?

Mama Z: My dear friend, Angie, went through this exact experience, a wonderful mom and wife. She was the picture of health. And a breast cancer diagnosis in 2017 shocked her to the core. It changed everything for her.

Dr. Z: The Hope for Breast Cancer documentary follows her story as she navigates the maze of cancer therapies to uncover some shocking truths about herself, her faith, and about her health.

Mama Z: Visit HopeforBreastCancer.com (that’s h-o-p-e-f-o-r breast cancer dot com) to reserve your seat for the upcoming global premier and to be the first to watch the free viewing when it airs.

Dr. Z: We promise tears, laughter, and most of all, hope.

 

[35:06 – 39:48] What Are the Benefits of Hope?

Dr. Z: All right, y’all, welcome back! Episode 38 of the Natural Living Family Podcast. We are talking about “Never Losing Hope.” We want to remind you, and the Bible is clear, the book of Psalms and the book of Proverbs are filled with these types of verses and reminders that hope gives us peace of mind. Hope gives us joy. Hope gives us confidence. And dare I say, hope is the solution to many of your health problems, including anxiety and stress. What does Psalm 16:9 say?

Mama Z: Psalm 16:9: “Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices. My flesh also will rest in hope.”

Dr. Z: Rest. Not my flesh will be anxious, not my flesh will be stressed, not my flesh will be depressed, not my flesh will be bipolar, not my flesh will be fill in the blank.

Mama Z: Right.

Dr. Z: I’m telling you something. Mental illness is directly linked to hopelessness, to feeling that you can never get better, to feeling trapped. The end-stage of hopelessness is suicidal thoughts, suicidal ideation, where you’re just done. You actually give up hope. And when you are chronically stressed, chronically depressed, chronically anxious, chronically withdrawn . . .

Now again, we all get stressed at times, and depressed, and sad, and anxious, and panicked at times. And that’s healthy. That’s actually good at times, very short, brief moments here or there. But when you’re chronically in these states, it wears down your body. It destroys you physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

And if you don’t get a grip on this, ultimately, you become hopeless. And when you’re hopeless, that’s when things get dangerous. That’s really when addictions go on the rise. That’s when people take their lives. That’s when things just fall apart.

Psalm 31:24 says, “Be of good courage. He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the Lord.” What does that say? God will fortify you. You hope in the Lord, regardless of your circumstances, and you will be strong emotionally, you will be balanced mentally, and you’ll see it manifesting in your physical life as well.

The one area that a lot of folks don’t catch until it happens is a weakness. A weakness of morals is a compromise of integrity. Like when your heart is strengthened, you are fortified, you want to do what’s right, and you won’t compromise, right? And a weak heart gets easily offended. A weak heart is a heart that easily stumbles. You’re going to say something? You’re looking at me with those eyes.

Mama Z: Yea.

Dr. Z: It’s like, “Ah.”

Mama Z: What is the Scripture from Proverbs?

Dr. Z: If it has the word hope in it, it’s probably on this list.

Mama Z: No, no, no, about that we’re not easily offended.

Dr. Z: Oh, it’s Psalm 119:65: “Great peace have they who love Your law. Nothing shall offend them or make them stumble.”

Mama Z: Yes.

Dr. Z: Psalm 42:5: “Why are you cast down, O my soul? Why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance.” You’ve got to ask yourself, like right now. And I’m telling you, this is not a judgment or criticism.

If you have any doubt whatsoever about our story, about Sabrina overcoming an eating disorder and being on ten different prescription medications in her early twenties; if you have any doubt about my story and understanding maybe where you’re coming from, battling with depression, addiction to narcotics and alcohol, and just being a wreck emotionally, mentally depressed, and all things that I battled, even contemplating suicide. I’m telling you something.

Mama Z: I’m really glad that you got through that phase, because I couldn’t do life without you.

Dr. Z: Oh! Chris, we got this on record, right? We’ve got this. Hear that?

Mama Z: He’s like, “Make sure you email that to me.”

Dr. Z: What did you say? I can’t do life?

Mama Z: I can’t.

Dr. Z: Aww! Virtual kiss.

Mama Z: For such a time as this.

[39:49 – 43:10] What Is the Antithesis of Hope?

Dr. Z: “Why are you cast down, O my soul?” If you are in a situation—I’ll talk a little firm here; I’m going to punch you in the arm like a big brother for a minute. If you are downcast, if you are downtrodden, if you are beside yourself with sorrow and hopelessness, you stop it. And this is something that Oswald Chambers . . . Oh, boy, let me tell you something. If you do not want to change your life for the better; actually, I take that back. Don’t read that book unless you want to change your life for the better. Don’t read the Bible unless you want to change your life for the better, because you’re going to read something that’s going to challenge you to the very core of your being. “Why are you downcast, O my soul?

Mama Z: Especially if you do a Proverb a day.

Dr. Z: Stop having a pity party.

Mama Z: Yea.

Dr. Z: And Oswald Chambers is so clear. Self-pity is demonic.

Mama Z: And it’s pride. And it’s core.

Dr. Z: It is. Why are you having a pity party? “Why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God.” You have to like buffet; like the Bible says, “Buffet your body.” You have to buffet your soul your mind; like, no way. You know what Paul says? “You have to cast down all vain imaginations that come against the knowledge of God.” This is exactly what it is.

Mama Z: And sometimes that has to do with the people that you surround yourself with as well.

Dr. Z: Amen!

Mama Z: Because if they’re only feeding you negative, then it’s just going to continue that cycle. And we know what crazy is. It’s doing the same thing over and expecting different results. And you have to be able to cut that. And that doesn’t mean completely close off those people. But as you change the way that you do things, naturally people will weed themselves out of your life.

Dr. Z: Yes.

Mama Z: And if you aren’t like that anymore, then God will open the door to bring other people in that fit where you’re at at that time, because God does not want us to be alone either. And that’s not just like husband and wife. That’s definitely peers as well. And God will provide situations. And I can’t tell you how many times that in different places that God provided an opportunity for growth. And it shut the door in some places, but always opened a different door. And God is so faithful in all of those times.

Dr. Z: Amen! And those people will be like a cancer to your soul, because they will enable you.

Mama Z: And it will keep you in that same spiral of where you’re at.

Dr. Z: It’s a codependent relationship, when people are like, “Oh, I get it, honey! It’s all right. You do this, do that. You know, leave your husband. He doesn’t treat you good. Or, “Leave your wife. They don’t deserve you. Do this or do that.” Oh, it’s just a drink. Oh, it’s just a line.” That’s a line of coke, if you know what I’m talking about. If you don’t, good! But I know those words. I mean seriously, it’s these people who are feeding into the weakness. It’s these people who are like, “Oh, it’s all right.”

Mama Z: You know what? Iron sharpens iron. And if people aren’t sharpening you, and they’re just applauding you on every step of the voyage, then you know that you’re probably not being challenged. And we know that God is going to provide people that are going to help each other grow, not just grow in the Lord, but also move forward with what God has for you.

 

[43:11 – 51:57] Are You Judiciously Accepting?

Dr. Z: I mean this has so many ramifications, because of what’s happened. And I don’t want to get on too much of a tangent here. But with this movement of accepting everyone regardless of the reality of their situation, it’s gotten really dangerous.

Some people right now have lost hope that they’re going to lose weight. Some of you listening right now are really, really overweight, and you need to lose weight. And it’s dangerous; like it could kill you. This is not a vanity issue. This is not about getting in your two-piece and looking sexy. I’m talking obesity will cause heart disease. It will kill you. It’s just when; it’s not if.

And so, you have this movement now, like “Oh, big and beautiful. You’re beautiful who you are.” The next thing you know, you’ve got a bunch of folks talking about how beautiful you are. “Don’t lose weight. You’re beautiful how you are, sweetheart.” No, no! That’s a lie from the pit of hell. If you need to lose weight because it’s causing damage to your body, lose weight. Yea, you’re beautiful inside and out. But we have to stop justifying and rationalizing our weaknesses.

And this is the same thing. It’s an addiction. I mean obesity is a really big issue. And not only obesity, but addiction to drugs. “Oh, it’s all right. It’s all right, opioids.” It’s happening to people.

Mama Z: Guess what? If you’re hearing this, and you’re already thinking of the excuses in your head, then we’ve got an issue.

Dr. Z: A hundred percent. And you need to not surround yourself with people that, “Oh, it’s all right. It’s all right.” And then they have the nerve to go out with you and eat bad food. And they’re skinny, and they look great.

And you’re like, “Okay, yea, let’s go have some pizza. Let’s have some fun. It’s all right, sweetheart. You’re beautiful.” No, you don’t want people like that in your life. Those people will kill you. I mean, I’m not kidding. They will be used of the enemy to cause your demise. You want people to love on you. But, “Hey sweetheart, I love you. I’m concerned about you. Let’s do things better together.

Mama Z: And God wants you free, whether it’s free of this or free of that. You know, it’s not free to make bad choices.

Dr. Z: No.

Mama Z: It’s a freedom in that God wants to be able use you for what your purpose is. But if you’re wrapped up in all of this other stuff, you’re not going to get to the point where you’re free enough to live for what God has for you.

Dr. Z: And that’s the danger of this. “Why are you cast down, O my soul? Why are you disquieted? Hope in the Lord.” Praise Him, because we need to focus. Why? What does Psalm 146 say? “Happy.” See, the opposite of being cast down, disquieted, is happy. “Happy, joyful is he (or she) who has the God of Jacob for their help, whose hope is in the Lord.” You hope in God, the result is happiness. If you’re not happy right now—and don’t get me wrong. We all have our moments. I mean not every day is sunshine and roses, by design.

Mama Z: You’re not happy with me every day.

Dr. Z: I love you, honey! Not every day, right? You can’t be sunny, happy, joyful. Like that’s not reality. Like there’s going to be moments you’re going to be a little frustrated at times. You’re going to be a little sad at times. Like how can you be happy when your best friend dies? Like you’re sick if you’re happy when that happens. You know what I mean? So, please recognize what I’m saying.

Mama Z: And you know, it says in the Bible, “There’s a time for this and a time for that, a time for this.

Dr. Z: There’s a season.

Mama Z: Everything is beautiful in God’s timing.

Dr. Z: Yes.

Mama Z: And everything has its own purpose and time under Heaven.

Dr. Z: But what I’m trying to share, though, is as a whole, on average, if you’re not happy, you have no hope. “Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord.” That is a direct sign that, “Lord, do I not have hope in you? Do I not have hope that my life will mean something, that I will get better, that this will change, that that will change?” What is my hope? And then we’re going to cover really what hope is in just a minute more.

Mama Z: And we know that a “Merry heart does good just like a medicine.”

Dr. Z: And again, kind of reinforcing what I’m trying to share here. Proverbs 10 says, “The hope of the righteous will be gladness.” But look at how the Bible dichotomizes these two—hope, gladness. “But the expectation of the wicked will perish.” So, hope—gladness, eternal. Expectation of the wicked—death. Chew on that for just a minute. Your hope will be eternal, and it will produce gladness. “And, therefore, my heart rejoiced. My tongue was glad. Moreover, my flesh will also rest in hope.” That is the key.

And when you talk to people, regardless of their situations, and some of the most . . . What is that song–“It is Well with My Soul?” What was in that story? Chris, you might know this. You could shout it out. But “It is Well with My Soul,” that beautiful hymn, wasn’t that written by a man who lost his wife and daughters in, what was it, a boat in the Atlantic Ocean?

Mama Z: Yes.

Dr. Z: In like the 1800s, right?

Mama Z: I think it sunk, right?

Dr. Z: Yea, he lost his family. And what did . . . Do you remember? And you can shout it out. But his wife wrote him something. And he got a letter. And I know it was something. But it caused the whole “It is Well with My Soul.” I forget what it was. But she was like . . . it was something powerful. Like all he got was a telegram that said, “I am the only survivor. All lost. I am the only one alive.” Something like that.

But he lost his family. And his response to that was, “It is Well with My Soul.” And he wrote that beautiful, eternal, wonderful hymn that we sing today. And it’s one of the most touching, anointed songs, next to Amazing Grace, and in my opinion, Chris Tomlin’s “How Great is Our God.” That’s a modern hymn.

Mama Z: And you know, even looking back at some of the history of some of the hymns, because I remember studying some of that stuff in school. And there are so many stories, and like great stories.

They’re obviously not covered in the Bible. But they’re different stories that are just to produce encouragement really to other people, and hope. If you don’t just sing the song, and you actually learn the stories behind it, they’re powerful.

Dr. Z: They are. The Lord holds a special place in His heart for those who trust in Him. And He will bless you. Psalm 33: “Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy.” Jeremiah 17: Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is in the Lord.”

I mean just think about that. You just hope in God like Abraham did, against all rationale. You know, that’s what faith is. It’s believing, having hope. Again, what is faith? Faith is the confidence of what we hope for, and assurance about what you do not see, right? And when you do that, that pleases God.

And I’ve got to say, as a father, that pleases me when our kids have hope in me, when our kids just have that expectation, that faith that we love them, and that we want to spend time with them, and that we want their best interest at heart. I mean that touches my heart. I mean I love them. You know, I think God, and this is what the Bible is telling us, that God has that same just, not admiration, but same affection, that’s a good word.

Mama Z: And you know, Bella’s teacher, actually, sent me a cute text yesterday, a couple of them. And she just loves Bella’s zeal and love for life and just all of that, and how it’s just an encouragement. And when you look at your kids, and it says to have faith like a child, really dive deep into thinking about what that actually is. Because when you look at Bella, as soon as she sees you, “Daddy!” And it’s like you are the only person in the entire universe.

Dr. Z: I love that.

Mama Z: And if I show up, “Mommy!” Oh my gosh! And then she’ll like run out to me. Like she’s supposed to be ducks in a row, walking down the hallway to the library. And then it’s like all she can see is you. And who cares about anything else. And when you look at that, and you say we’re supposed to have a child-like faith, I mean like we are supposed to have that same sort of attitude to our heavenly Father. But if you’re not spending time with your heavenly Father, how are you going to have that kind of relationship?

Dr. Z: Amen! She looks forward to going to church like a child. And she looks forward to greeting, and looks forward to praying.

Mama Z: And look at all the relationships in your life. This is the only relationship that truly lasts forever.  

 

 

[51:58 – ] Restoring Hope in Your Life

Dr. Z: Hallelujah! I love it. I love it. I’m telling you, if you’ve lost your love and desire for church, for Bible reading, for fellowship with other believers, for praying, these are signs that you just don’t have hope.

Mama Z: Like that old song, if you’ve lost that loving feeling, sometimes it takes your actions to actually produce that work, because you need to get back into that motion, so that, like we’ve said before, you’re throwing your heart and mind and soul over that bar in order to get your body and mind and everything to follow.

Dr. Z: Amen! And that’s a real practical application. You need to be in God’s Word, y’all. What does Psalm 71 say? Essentially, God and His Word are our hope, not our circumstances. God is inseparable from His Word. Psalm 71: “You, O Lord, are my hope. You are my trust from my youth.” And Psalm 119, over and over, various verses in Psalm 119 all about the Word of God: “You are my hiding place and my shield. I hope in your Word.” We know that God’s Word will never return void. It will never fail or forsake us. “I rise before the dawning of the morning and cry for help. I hope in Your Word.” Over and over and over.

Mama Z: “Oh, but Dr. Z, I don’t have time to do that.” Well, guess what?

Dr. Z: Listen to this podcast.

Mama Z: Well, yea.

Dr. Z: It’s sort of like learning Scriptures.

Mama Z: But even with that, then get the Bible on CD. Get the Bible on MP3.

Dr. Z: Yep.

Mama Z: Listen to it on your phone.

Dr. Z: Yea, on the way to work.

Mama Z: One of the things that really helped me overcome was listening to the New Testament at night when I went to sleep. And the encouragement that it just happens almost simultaneously by playing life-giving things while you’re sleeping. Get involved in this process. Don’t let life pass you by, because if you do, it will. And you have to do things to move forward.

Dr. Z: Folks, remember, hope is faith, and faith is believing what we do not see. Romans chapter 8 says, “In this hope we were saved, but hope that is seen is not hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait patiently.” And that pleases God.

We’re going to wrap up here with just a few practical tips. “Okay, I get it. It makes sense. I understand what you’re trying to share. But what do I do? How do I actually move forward?” And I’ve got to say one thing that God really put on my heart at the very onset of our ministry. It’s just to be as practical as possible. That’s why we have so many cooking classes and gardening classes and essential oil classes and write the books. Yea, it would be one thing to say, “Hey, you know, lavender is great to help you rest. But I don’t know what to do with lavender essential oil” That’s why we have the tips.

And when it comes to spiritual things, we need to be as practical as we are in the natural. And here’s the thing we have to remember. Hope is a verb. Hope is not an adjective. Hope is an action word. So, what do we do? Read, meditate on God’s Word. That activates hope.

So, right now, looking at your life, are you downcast? “What’s wrong with my soul,” the psalmist is crying out. “Are you downcast, O my soul?” Basically, pick yourself up from your bootstraps, and let’s do this thing. Like if you find yourself depressed, hopeless, overwhelmed; if you find yourself just beside yourself, first read, meditate on God’s Word. It will activate hope.

Lamentations 3:21 talks about the goodness and the blessing of God. Even if you haven’t, read Lamentations. If you’re suffering at all, just read the very short book. Read Lamentations. And in the middle of all this suffering and all this pouring out of the heart of just brokenness, these beautiful like dozen verses, about twelve or so verses are just so life-giving. And the writer is talking about the blessing of God and His promises. And this is the key I want you to leave with. Lamentations 3:21 says, “This (these things) I recall to my mind. Therefore, I have hope.”

If you don’t know God’s promises for you, if you don’t know the blessings that He has in store for you; if you don’t know how this world works, the law of sowing and reaping, the law of sin and death, the law of gravity; if you don’t know how things work, how are you going to have hope? But these things, “this I recall to my mind; therefore, I have hope,” that God loves you, that God has a plan and a future for you, that you’re called according to a great purpose, that all things will work out for your good, right? Over and over and over.

 

[56:57 – 1:05:18] Getting Help for Hopelessness – Never Lose Hope

Dr. Z: If you need any sort of help, we have our website at NaturalLivingFamily.com, dozens and dozens of collections of Bible verses about everything from marriage to family to success to business, to health, to healing, to joy, to peace, to sex, all kinds of things. Like there are so many things the Bible talks about. If you want a place to start, check out there. It’s a great place to go.

Mama Z: Absolutely. I have a Scripture that you just made me think of. Ephesians 1:18: “The eyes of your understanding be enlightened, that you may know what the hope of His calling and what the riches of His glory in His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power towards us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power.”

Dr. Z: Amen! Here’s another practical application. Again, remember hope, you read God’s Word, you meditate on it, you understand, and you really internalize and consume His promises, that will activate hope, just by knowing what God says. Like we tell the kids, “Hey, next week, we’re going to Disney.” They have hope. I mean they take us at our word.

Or, and this is something I’ve noticed, the older they get, the trickier they get. They’re like, “Hey, can we have a gun war? Because we have nerf guns. Like, “Hey, can we have gun war tomorrow?” And then they’re like,

Mama Z: And they’re like, “Is mom leaving?”

Dr. Z: Yea.

Mama Z: Then we’ll definitely be able to have gun war.

Dr. Z: Yea, but we won’t talk about that.

Mama Z: Although they always want me to be on their team if I’m here.

Dr. Z: But see, they’re asking you, they’re baiting you. Like, “Hey, can we do this?” I’m like, “We’ll see.” Okay. As long as they don’t get a definitive no, the answer is yes.

Mama Z: Yea, exactly.

Dr. Z: If it’s not a definitive no, the answer is yes. Just know this. All of the promises in the Bible are yes and Amen in Christ Jesus. Are you believing for finances? Are you believing for a husband or a wife?

Mama Z: Are you believing for healing?

Dr. Z: Are you believing for a job? Are you believing for a new house, or whatever?

Mama Z: Or do you have basic needs that you need met?

Dr. Z: Yea. I mean, I’m thinking like us. We were believing for a new home, because our old home had toxic mold in it. That’s a big issue, right? What are you believing God for? Are you believing God for peace? Are you believing God to restore your marriage? Maybe bring your kids to the saving knowledge of Jesus? Don’t lose hope, right? And just know that it is God’s will for all to be saved. It is God’s will for your needs to be met. It really is God’s will that you and your body be healthy and heal and prosper as your soul prospers.

Mama Z: He wants us perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

Dr. Z: Amen! So, what’s another practical application? Walking in integrity gives us hope, your actions, because here’s something I’ve realized, too. When you’re courting sin, you’re courting death. And there is no hope; there is no confidence. When you’re out of integrity, you get yourself really out of God’s will, pretty much immediately.

And that’s where to get into God’s will, to get into God’s flow, to get under His pinions and under like the feathers of a mother hen, like the book says over and over again, the book of Psalms. It’s a wonderful illustration, that God will protect us and He will be our covering, our high tower. But we have to do our part.

Job 4:6 says this: “Is not your reverence, your confidence in the integrity of your ways, your hope?” We fear God, we obey Him, we do what’s right, we can have hope and confidence that He is going to do His part. And I’m telling you something, Oswald Chambers, again, he’s been really ministering to me in the last couple of weeks. Oswald Chambers was telling me in this devotional, how pompous is it for us to expect God to bless us, yet we are in direct disobedience, or we’re doing something we shouldn’t be doing.

And that could be anything. Are you cheating on your taxes? Are you cheating on your diet? Are you cheating on your wife, your spouse? You name it. You know, did you find twenty bucks at the store and just pick it up and put it in your pocket? Or do you give it to the person? Or whatever is might be. Look at all the different ways integrity can be compromised, right? I’m telling you something, it’s real easy. But just a little bit of leaven leavens the whole loaf. It makes it all rise.

Walking in integrity gives you hope. And remember, hope is faith. And faith is believing in what we do not see. Faith is confidence in what we hope for, and assurance about what we do not see.

Mama Z: And if you need hope, then also remember Isaiah 40:31. “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk and not be faint.”

Dr. Z: So, what we’re trying to illustrate is faith and hope. They’re interchangeable, really. This is not an activity at its best. It’s not like sitting on your bed, binging on movies and being like, “Okay, I have faith. I’m just waiting. I have hope.” No, no, no. Hope and faith require activity. They require action. They require you to do something.

And if you don’t know what else to do, the best thing to do is pray. The best thing to do is read God’s Word. Meditate on it. The best thing to do is repent and to change your ways and to really ask God to help you. And like you read a couple of weeks ago, Psalm 51. Like “Search me, O God. Cleanse me.” Like free me from hidden faults. That was Psalm 18. “Free me from hidden faults.” Like you don’t even know things that you’re doing that are wrong.

And you know, those are the things, I’m telling you something. We have a good friend of ours, a perfect example. I’m telling you, God’s economy makes a lot of sense. What happened to our good friend? He made a mistake on his taxes, a hundred percent innocent. Well, that cost him a hundred thousand dollars. And guess what? Did the IRS forgive it? No. “Officer, I didn’t realize the speed limit was 35. I thought it was 45.” Do you think the guy or gal is going to give you . . . Maybe, maybe not. But you know, the law is the law. We should know there is no excuse, right?

If you find yourself hopeless, even ask God, “God, am I doing something I shouldn’t be doing? Lord, cleanse my heart.” This is real practical stuff to get hope, because there is nothing like walking in confidence. We know the joy of the Lord is our strength. If you’re not joyful, if you have no confidence, you have no strength. You’re weak.

Mama Z: Sometimes you need to activate your faith. And in order to activate your faith, remember that faith works by love. And also remember that love never fails.

Dr. Z: Amen! And what is love? See all the practical things. “Love is patient, love is kind.”

Mama Z: 1 Corinthians 13.

Dr. Z: “Love does not quickly get angered. It keeps no record of wrong.” All these things are interconnected, y’all. So, we want to leave you with this. We want to leave you with a word of prayer in just a minute.

But for those of you who are really struggling right now, for those of you who are suffering, just remember that these trials and tribulations are producing perseverance, perseverance which is developing a wonderful character in you which will lead to hope. And the hope is not deceptive, because “the love of God has been poured out in your heart by the Holy Spirit who has been given to you.” Amen!

Mama Z: You know what I think is cute?

Dr. Z: What?

Mama Z: I think in King James. And you think in totally other things. So, when you like say a Scripture, I like immediately convert it. It’s like listening to Spanish and converting it into English in your head. Sorry, I’m just a King James girl over here.

Dr. Z: Well, I love you.

Mama Z: He’s over on Amplified or New King James over here. All right, to wrap up today’s show, we have a natural living tip for you.

[1:05:19 – ] Natural Living Tip: Closing Prayer so you Never Lose Hope

Dr. Z: All right, let’s pray.

Thank you, Jesus. Father God, we lift up to you everyone listening right now who doesn’t have hope. Maybe they’ve been given a cancer diagnosis. Maybe their loved one has maybe something really seriously bad happen to them, Lord, and they’ve just lost hope. Lord, maybe they’ve lost hope that they will ever recover. Maybe they lost hope that they’ll ever get back on their feet. Maybe some people just lost hope that life will get much better. Maybe they’re stuck in a rut, in a dead-end job, in a dead-end relationship.

Lord, we pray and we ask that You do something wonderful in each and everyone’s heart. That You give them a wonderful, eager expectation and a hope; that You activate their faith; that You give them an excitement, a giddiness, a joy. That You bring them to a place where they see the things that they need to do. And You help them, empower them, and strengthen them to do their part, so that they move forward and walk in hope and joy and peace and love, and in confidence that You have their best interest at heart.

Father, we speak healing, and life provision for spirit, soul, and body, for everyone listening right now, for their friends and for their family. And thank you, God, that hope, that hope that will never disappoint, will well up like a wonderful stream and be poured out to not only themselves, but their family and their friends, and they’ll be a great source of inspiration and hope for everyone around them. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Mama Z: Amen.

 

[1:07:15 – 1:07:45] Special Invitation: Hope for Breast Cancer

Mama Z: And don’t forget the free screening of the Hope for Breast Cancer documentary starts November 6.

Dr. Z: Simply go to HopeforBreastCancer.com. That’s h-o-p-e-f-o-r breast cancer dot com. And you’ll get instant access to some behind the scenes footage and some other sweet goodies while you wait for the film to premiere.

Mama Z: And please, share this with a friend. The information and hope shared in this film could be a world of difference for someone in need. God bless!

 

[1:07:46 – end] Never Lose Hope Episode WrapUp

Dr. Z: Hallelujah everyone! Thank you for listening. We hope you enjoyed the show. And as a reminder, you can find all of the Natural Living Family podcasts, episodes, show notes, and transcripts on NaturalLivingFamilypodcast.com.

And while on our website, don’t forget, please sign up for our weekly podcast newsletter, which includes a personal invite to join our private Facebook group, so you can connect one on one with us and meet more than five-thousand other natural living lovers just like you. And don’t forget, please subscribe to our podcast and leave a review. We love hearing what you have to say about our show. And as always, this is Dr. Z.

Mama Z: And Mama Z.

Dr. Z: And our hope and prayer are that you and your family truly experience the abundant life.

Mama Z: God bless!

Dr. Z: Bye, bye!