Category: Hope

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Recipes for Worms

Ever have one of those pity parties where it’s just you and your emotions? I have to admit that occasionally I still find myself setting the table for that kind of gathering and I have to call myself on it and cancel the party because I know it doesn’t please the Father.

As a kid, I’m sure you all said this little chant once or twice. “Nobody likes me, everybody hates me, guess I’ll go eat worms. Big fat juicy ones, little tiny scrawny ones, oh, how they do .” Ya, I know kids stuff right? Not so much – that feeling is all to prevalent in adults as well but we just don’t sing the chant. Nobody, and I mean nobody, has a good recipe for worm cake so let’s just not go there.

The feeling that I’m all alone and that nobody really understands me, appreciates me or cares about me can be overwhelming. We’ve all had people let us down, turn against us or just ignore us as if we don’t exist. But! There is One who promises to never leave us or forsake us.

“God has said, “I will never leave you; I will never run away from you.” Now that’s good news but let me give it to you from the Amplified version.

“for He [God] [b]Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor [c]give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [d][I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor [e]let [you] down ([f]relax My hold on you)! [[g]Assuredly not!]
6 So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say, The Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm [I will not fear or dread or be terrified]. What can man do to me?” Hebrews 13:5b-6

Now read that again. The Amplified version gives you the depth of the meaning of the words the way they were written in the original language. This is how God feels about you – He’s there for you. He will not leave you!!!! His love never fails.

Jesus has never once accepted my invitation to a pity party. He doesn’t like worm cake. (I know that made you smile.) He does show up and ask me to leave my party and my self-pity and to join Him in a celebration of the Father’s love. He also reminds me not to get side-tracked by the rejection, insults or condemning words that others may speak. He wants me to stay focused on the Father’s word the way he did.

“God wants you to silence stupid and ignorant people by doing right. 16 You are free, but still you are God’s servants, and you must not use your freedom as an excuse for doing wrong. 17 Respect everyone and show special love for God’s people. Honor God and respect the Emperor.” I Peter 2:15-17 CEV

Our real enemy isn’t “stupid or ignorant people”, it is Satan and he would love to destroy our stand for the Lord by getting us to gripe, complain and become angry. He used the same tactics with Jesus. If he can’t do that then he would like us to become so wrapped in self-pity that we are ineffective.

It’s up to us to control our emotions and stay settled on God’s word.

“Great blessings belong to those who suffer persecution for doing what is right.
God’s kingdom belongs to them. 11 “People will insult you and hurt you. They will lie and say all kinds of evil things about you because you follow me. But when they do that, know that great blessings belong to you. 12 Be happy about it. Be very glad because you have a great reward waiting for you in heaven. People did these same bad things to the prophets who lived before you.” Matthew 5:10-12 CEV

Leave the worm muffins and pie for the birds and the fish. Look up! We are blessed today because God loves us. What can man do to you that could possibly compare to that!!

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No More Tears

I’m sure most of you have heard the stories of someone being on the brink of death and they have their whole life flash before their eyes. I’m not sure if that’s true or not, I can’t find anything in Scripture that tells us that’s what happens. However, we do have some Scriptures that tell us what heaven will be like and I’d like to share with you some of my thoughts this morning.

I guess this comes in part from spending the last ten days with my Mother. She has lived a full and wonderful life. She talks of the good things she has experienced and of her greatest joys here on earth; family, friends, and serving the Lord. And then she talks of heaven; seeing Jesus, being reunited with my father and other loved ones, meeting those people from the Bible whose stories she has read dozens of times.

She is so looking forward to heaven!

She really doesn’t want to wait any longer. She would like to go now but is content to wait on the Lord’s timing. We have talked about the joy of that moment; she wants us to have a party when she goes home.

“So my heart and soul will be very happy. Even my body will live in safety, 10 because you will not leave me in the place of death. You will not let your faithful one rot in the grave. 11 You will teach me the right way to live. Just being with you will bring complete happiness. Being at your right side will make me happy forever. ” Psalm 16:9-11 ERV

The Lord has promised, that when we receive the new life that Jesus died to give us, He will forgive all our sins and He remembers them no more.

“Never again will anyone have to teach their neighbors or their family to know the Lord.  All people—the greatest and the least important—will know me. 12 And I will forgive the wrongs they have done, and I will not remember their sins.” Hebrews 8:11-13 ERV

That is so amazing to me – God chooses to forget our sins! He doesn’t remind us of our failings; He isn’t keeping score to see if we’ve been good enough. He’s made us good enough because of our relationship with Jesus. When we accept His sacrifice, we receive His forgiveness.

So what will heaven be like? Constant joy! We will be in the Father’s presence and that is a place of constant joy.

“I heard a loud voice from the throne. It said, “Now God’s home is with people. He will live with them. They will be his people. God himself will be with them and will be their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death, sadness, crying, or pain. All the old ways are gone.”

5 The one who was sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this, because these words are true and can be trusted.” Revelation 21:3-5 ERV

I recently heard a country song entitled “Worthy Watching”. It was sung by Johnny Lee. There is a line in the song that goes like this:

“When my life flashes before my eyes
It’ll be worth watching”

Once we receive Christ our life’s story is revised; our sins and shortcomings are blotted out and what lies ahead with definitely be “worth watching”. Thank you Lord for wiping away the tears!

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Wipe Away The Tears

Not So Happy Day…I woke up this morning and asked the Lord what I should write. I remembered an article I wrote several years back to Mothers’ with broken hearts.

There are woman all around me who aren’t happy about Mother’s Day but instead are dreading it.

This is for those of you who have recently experienced the death of a child either as an unborn, infant or even an adult. You’re not having a good day, you want to stay in bed with your head under the covers and avoid all who are celebrating.

Some of you have been told you will never have children and your heart is screaming “I’m broken…I ache…I may never recover and I can’t go on pretending everything’s ok.”

Ladies some of you may be dealing with abortion or giving a child up for adoption. Others may be facing life as a single parent because you’ve been abandoned. Some have a special needs child that you love dearly but drain your energy and you are exhausted most of the time.

The last group of ladies I want to include here are those of you who are estranged from your children, those whose children have left and you have no idea where they are or they are living a lifestyle that is far from you and even farther from the Lord. They may be in an addictive lifestyle or they may be in prison.

Mother’s Day is not a good day for you to say the least. You hurt and the thought of facing the day, a day filled with cards and flowers, cheery greetings and gifts is just unbearable.

Because I’m writing this too you, you can know that your Heavenly Father knows your heart, He knows your pain. He wants to comfort you. There are two verses that immediately come to mind

“If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come to me and I will give you rest. 29 Take the yoke I give you. Put it on your shoulders and learn from me. I am gentle and humble, and you will find rest.” Matthew 11:28-29 CEV

“for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!] 6 So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say, The Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm [I will not fear or dread or be terrified]. What can man do to me?” Hebrews 13:5b-6 AMP

Your Father knows your heart and how it’s breaking, He is here to heal it and to give you comfort. You are not alone!

“God blesses those people who grieve. They will find comfort!” Matthew 5:4 CEV

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Labor Pains

With Mother’s Day almost here I know that Mom’s are reliving the day they gave birth to their children. Some had easy deliveries and some can go on and on about the agonies of child birth. However, the one thing we can probably all agree on is that overwhelming flood of love that filled out hearts when our babies were placed in our arms.

The pain associated with the birth experience seemed to fade away as we held that precious one for the very first time!

Kind of reminds me of Jesus…yes, Jesus. The writer of Hebrews tells us in chapter 12 that He endured the cross for the joy that was set before Him.

“We must keep our eyes on Jesus, who leads us and makes our faith complete. He endured the shame of being nailed to a cross, because he knew that later on he would be glad he did. Now he is seated at the right side of God’s throne! 3 So keep your mind on Jesus, who put up with many insults from sinners. Then you won’t get discouraged and give up.” Hebrews 12:2-3 CEV

Let me ask you, are you enduring a cross right now? Is there something in your life that is causing you pain? Maybe you are under attack from the enemy and he is trying to steal, kill and destroy or it could be that you have been disobedient to what you know God wants for you and your own disobedience has created some very unpleasant circumstances.

I can guarantee if you will look to Jesus for your help and your deliverance, you will come through this with joy! You may have tears and labor pains now but joy of new life, a life of depending on Him, will wipe all that away.

“Lord, you lifted me out of my troubles. You did not give my enemies a reason to laugh so I will praise you. 2 Lord my God, I prayed to you, and you healed me. 3 Lord, you lifted me out of the grave. I was falling into the place of death, but you saved my life. 4 Praise the Lord, you who are loyal to him! Praise his holy name! 5 His anger lasts for a little while, but then his kindness brings life. The night may be filled with tears, but in the morning we can sing for joy! 6 When I was safe and secure, I thought nothing could hurt me. 7 Yes, Lord, while you were kind to me, I felt that nothing could defeat me. But when you turned away from me, I was filled with fear. 8 So, Lord, I turned and prayed to you. I asked you, Lord, to show me mercy. 9 I said, “What good is it if I die and go down to the grave? The dead just lie in the dirt. They cannot praise you. They cannot tell anyone how faithful you are. 10 Lord, hear my prayer, and be kind to me. Lord, help me!” 11 You have changed my sorrow into dancing. You have taken away my sackcloth and clothed me with joy. 12 You wanted me to praise you and not be silent. Lord my God, I will praise you forever!” Psalm 30 CEV

Thank you Lord that you give us joy, hope and peace. Thank you for brining us through labor with renewed purpose and new life!

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Recovering From A Storm

Our last few days have been anything but quiet! You all know how much I enjoy the peace and tranquility that I have here in our neighborhood. It has been disturbed in a big way.

Some of you will remember we had a huge hail storm back in October. The hail was the size of golf balls and it pelted us for almost an hour. The trees and shrubbery were stripped of their leaves, cacti had holes shot through them and the cars were dimpled with hail marks. Window screens were shredded and one of our sky lights were broken. It was a hard storm.

What we didn’t realize until a couple months ago was damage had been done to our roof. First one neighbor and then a few others called their insurance companies to have adjusters come assess the effects of the storm. It was quite wide spread in our area. When we called, we found that our roof needed to be replaced because of the damage that had been sustained from the hail.

Two days ago the workers came and began stripping away the old roof. Our home is a flat roofed, Santa Fe style home. They spent all day peeling away the damaged roofing material. Yesterday they came and began laying the new roof. The banging, pounding, deconstruction and reconstruction was almost deafening. There isn’t a picture in the house that is hanging straight. Little bits of dirt and dust that had lived in the vents for thirteen years was now on my furniture and floors. David even put pillows under some of our hanging lights in case they fell.

After the workmen left yesterday I sat in the living room enjoying the quiet. The peace had returned. However, they will be back again today to finish the job. Sitting here my heart was filled with empathy for those who live in areas that are ravaged by floods, tornados, hurricanes, fires and devastating earthquakes; those who face complete loss while I only experience a few days of inconvenience.

These storms may destroy physical property and possessions but many experience the loss from storms that devastate their emotions, their sense of inner peace and their spiritual well being. In these cases it’s important to remember the one who can repair the damage and restore the peace.

“The Spirit of the Lord God is on me. The Lord has chosen me to tell good news to the poor and to comfort those who are sad. He sent me to tell the captives and prisoners that they have been set free. 2 He sent me to announce that the time has come for the Lord to show his kindness, when our God will also punish evil people. He has sent me to comfort those who are sad, 3 those in Zion who mourn. I will take away the ashes on their head, and I will give them a crown. I will take away their sadness, and I will give them the oil of happiness. I will take away their sorrow, and I will give them celebration clothes. He sent me to name them ‘Good Trees’ and ‘The Lord’s Wonderful Plant.’

4 Then the old cities that were destroyed will be rebuilt. Those ancient ruins will be made new, as they were in the beginning.” Isaiah 61:1-4 ERV

This was written about Jesus and told what He would do when He came to earth. He came to heal, deliver, comfort, bring freedom and rebuild. He came to restore us who have suffered loss and destruction.

“You, Lord God, bless everyone  who cares for the poor, and you rescue those people in times of trouble. 2 You protect them and keep them alive. You make them happy here in this land, and you don’t hand them over to their enemies. 3 You always heal them and restore their strength when they are sick. 4 I prayed, “Have pity, Lord! Heal me, though I have sinned against you.” Psalm 41:1-4 CEV

“I know what you are like! But I will heal you, lead you, and give you comfort, until those who are mourning 19 start singing my praises. No matter where you are, I, the Lord, will heal you and give you peace.” Isaiah 57:17-19 CEV

I don’t know what storm you have been through. I don’t know the destruction that has come to your heart but God does! He comes with a promise of comfort, healing, restoration – peace. If, when, we come to Him he promises to give us peace and rest.

“Come to me all of you who are tired from the heavy burden you have been forced to carry. I will give you rest. 29 Accept my teaching. Learn from me. I am gentle and humble in spirit. And you will be able to get some rest.” Matthew 11:28 ERV

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Who’s In Charge

Sitting here this morning, there are so many things on my mind and in my heart. Praying for my children and grandchildren, their friends who need direction, healing for the friends of friends and for our nation and our government and those who rule our land. So many things around us are going contrary to what Jesus said was the kingdom of heaven and what God has designed for us.

Jesus also lived in a troubled world. The governmental rule was anti-God. The Romans, who ruled over the nation of Israel preached Caesar as God and his word as infallible. They were living in political slavery when Jesus was born. I find it interesting that God the Father didn’t use Jesus to rescue the Jews from the Romans in a similar way that he used Moses to rescue the Jews from the Egyptians.

Jesus went throughout all the towns and villages preaching to them the good news of the kingdom of heaven and with that message he demonstrated the power of God by doing miracles.

“Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages. He taught in their synagogues and told people the Good News about God’s kingdom. He healed all kinds of diseases and sicknesses. 36 Jesus saw the many people and felt sorry for them because they were worried and helpless—like sheep without a shepherd to lead them. 37 Jesus said to his followers, “There is such a big harvest of people to bring in. But there are only a few workers to help harvest them. 38 God owns the harvest. Ask him to send more workers to help gather his harvest.” Matthew 9:35 – 38 ERV

He also sent out his disciples, preaching the same message and they too, did the same miracles. “As you go, announce that the kingdom of heaven will soon be here. 8Heal the sick, raise the dead to life, heal people who have leprosy, and force out demons. You received without paying, now give without being paid.” Matthew 10:7-8 ERV

Peter was preaching in the book of Acts and gave this testimony of Jesus and his ministry. “You surely know what happened everywhere in Judea. It all began in Galilee after John had told everyone to be baptized. 38God gave the Holy Spirit and power to Jesus from Nazareth. He was with Jesus, as he went around doing good and healing everyone who was under the power of the devil. 39We all saw what Jesus did both in Israel and in the city of Jerusalem. Jesus was put to death on a cross. 40But three days later, God raised him to life and let him be seen. 41Not everyone saw him. He was seen only by us, who ate and drank with him after he was raised from death. We were the ones God chose to tell others about him.” Acts 10: 37-41 ERV

The corruption of the government was always on Jesus disciples’ minds and they wondered when Jesus would take control and change things. Here are Jesus last words to his disciples.

“While the apostles were still with Jesus, they asked him, “Lord, are you now going to give Israel its own king again?” 7Jesus said to them, “You don’t need to know the time of those events that only the Father controls. 8But the Holy Spirit will come upon you and give you power. Then you will tell everyone about me in Jerusalem, in all Judea, in Samaria, and everywhere in the world.” 9After Jesus had said this and while they were watching, he was taken up into a cloud. They could not see him, 10but as he went up, they kept looking up into the sky.” Acts 1:6-9

Today, many are asking the same thing. When Lord are you going to do something about our government leaders and those in power? Things are not good, that is for certain! But we are hopeful and can trust God. He has a plan, He is working.

Jesus final command to the disciples is for us as well. We receive power from the Holy Spirit and are to be witnesses in our home town (Jerusalem), in our country (Judea), to our neighboring countries (Samaria) and then into the whole world. And what are we to preach – the same thing the disciples did. The kingdom of heaven is at hand and we can minister with the same power and authority that they had.

So today, we are called to be witnesses for the kingdom of God. “He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.” Luke 1:32-33 ERV

Your kingdom come, your will be done!

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I’m Going Fishing

Have you ever been through a time of crisis? I mean the gut wrenching, heart breaking, all hope is gone, kind of crisis.

It could be the death of a loved one; the end of a marriage you were trying to save; an attack that devastated your health and physical well-being or perhaps it was a financial situation that left you destitute.

Seeing the news of the last few days, I find myself praying for those who are losing everything to the floods, tornados, and snow storms. Homes are gone with everything that was in them; the livelihood of farmers and ranchers are lost; entire towns are being evacuated. What to do?!

I hope you will find comfort in this. I want to tell you about a man who had lost all and was fearful that he would be arrested and possibly killed. He went fishing. Yes, fishing! He went back to what he knew before his life was turned upside down. He went fishing. Some friends went with him.

“3 Simon Peter said, “I am going out to fish.”

The other followers said, “We will go with you.” So all of them went out and got into the boat. They fished that night but caught nothing.

4 Early the next morning Jesus stood on the shore. But the followers did not know it was Jesus. 5 Then he said to them, “Friends, have you caught any fish?”

They answered, “No.”

6 He said, “Throw your net into the water on the right side of your boat. You will find some fish there.” So they did this. They caught so many fish that they could not pull the net back into the boat.

7 The follower Jesus loved very much said to Peter, “That man is the Lord!” When Peter heard him say it was the Lord, he wrapped his coat around himself. (He had taken his clothes off to work.) Then he jumped into the water.” John 21:3-7 ERV

You know the background to this story. Peter and the others had been following Christ for three years. They left everything to be one of his disciples. They saw Jesus do miracles; they did miracles. They believed Jesus was the Messiah, God’s Son, and then they saw Him die. The Pharisees and religious leaders hated Jesus and his disciples. They were on the “Most Wanted” list.

Jesus had appeared to the disciples a couple of times after His death and yet, here they were. Floundering from their loss. They were emotionally undone. Where should they go from here? In true Peter fashion he declared “I’m going fishing”. I’m going back to the familiar, back to what I know. I’m finding something that will distract me and I’m going to a place of comfort.

Wow!

Some of us crawl into bed and pull the covers over our heads. Some find comfort in alcohol or drugs, they need to forget. Others find consolation being with others who have also experienced the same type of loss.

I want you to notice something from this story. In their loss and desperation the disciples didn’t go seeking the Lord. They went fishing and the Lord found them. He not only found them, He helped them catch a boat load of fish, cooked them breakfast and served them hope!

“The other followers went to shore in the boat. They pulled the net full of fish. They were not very far from shore, only about 100 yards.[b 9 When they stepped out of the boat and onto the shore, they saw a fire of hot coals. There were fish on the fire and some bread there too. 10 Then Jesus said, “Bring some of the fish that you caught.”

11 Simon Peter got into the boat and pulled the net to the shore. It was full of big fish—153 of them! But even with that many fish, the net did not tear. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and eat.” None of the followers would ask him, “Who are you?” They knew he was the Lord. 13 Jesus walked over to get the bread and gave it to them. He also gave them the fish.

14 This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his followers after he was raised from death.” John 21:8-14 ERV

We can trust Jesus to meet us in our time of crisis. He sees the hurt and brings comfort. He sees our fear and brings peace. He hears our cries for help and comes quickly to our aid.

“Jesus came to Nazareth where He had grown up. As He had done before, He went into the Jewish place of worship on the Day of Rest. Then He stood up to read. 17 Someone handed Him the book of the early preacher Isaiah. He opened it and found the place where it was written, 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on Me. He has put His hand on Me to preach the Good News to poor people. He has sent Me to heal those with a sad heart. He has sent Me to tell those who are being held that they can go free. He has sent Me to make the blind to see and to free those who are held because of trouble. 19 He sent Me to tell of the time when men can receive favor with the Lord.” Luke 4:16-19 NLV

This was Jesus life mission; healing, saving, restoring and forgiving those who were without hope and purpose.

“For because He Himself [in His humanity] has suffered in being tempted (tested and tried), He is able [immediately] to run to the cry of (assist, relieve) those who are being tempted and tested and tried [and who therefore are being exposed to suffering].” Hebrews 2:18 AMPC

Maybe you have “gone fishing” because of the overwhelming circumstances in your life. If you look around, you’ll find that Jesus is there. He’s come to bring comfort and assistance.

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Keep Looking Up

Hope and excitement. Child like expectation!

There are days that we lose that hope because of what we see happening in the world around us. What should we do?

Keep looking up!

This is the instruction we receive from Jesus, King David and the Apostle Paul.

“You were raised from death with Christ. So live for what is in heaven, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Think only about what is up there, not what is here on earth. 3 Your old self has died, and your new life is kept with Christ in God. 4 Yes, Christ is now your life, and when he comes again, you will share in his glory.” Colossians 3:1-4 ERV

Do you see that? Keep thinking about heaven…so, let’s do just that. Think about heaven for just a minute or two. Close your eyes right now, see Jesus sitting at the right side of our heavenly Father. They have prepared this perfect place for us. The Holy Spirit is praying for us – constantly. It’s what He does.

“In certain ways we are weak, but the Spirit is here to help us. For example, when we don’t know what to pray for, the Spirit prays for us in ways that cannot be put into words. 27 All of our thoughts are known to God. He can understand what is in the mind of the Spirit, as the Spirit prays for God’s people. 28 We know that God is always at work for the good of everyone who loves him.[a] They are the ones God has chosen for his purpose,” Romans 8:26-28 CEV

This is such an encouragement.

King David knew what it was like to live in perilous and godless times. He constantly faced physical battles and also emotional ones. He kept looking up – he found his hope and victory in turning his eyes upward.

“Gates, proudly lift your heads! Open, ancient doors, and the glorious King will come in. 8 Who is the glorious King? He is the Lord, the powerful soldier. He is the Lord, the war hero. 9 Gates, proudly lift your heads! Open, ancient doors, and the glorious King will come in. 10 Who is the glorious King? The Lord All-Powerful is the glorious King. Selah” Psalm 24:7-10 ERV

Lift up our heads – no, that doesn’t mean to turn our head up but it is an attitude of the heart. Turn our focus heavenward. Looking up is looking beyond ourselves and looking to someone higher, looking to God the Father. “ Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. 10 Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.” Psalm 24:8-10

Are you looking up today? Are you looking beyond yourself and finding God’s directive on how you should function today? It’s easy to get discouraged and even depressed with all the world’s happenings and Jesus knew that these days and times we are living in would be taxing to our mental peace and could make us heart sick. He gave us this command.

“There will be special things to look for in the sun and moon and stars. The nations of the earth will be troubled and will not know what to do. They will be troubled at the angry sea and waves. 26 The hearts of men will give up because of being afraid of what is coming on the earth. The powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with power and much greatness. 28 When these things begin to happen, lift up your heads because you have been bought by the blood of Christ and will soon be free.” Luke 21:25-28

Don’t let your heart fail or become fearful – keep looking up. Lift up your head for your Redeemer is near!

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Don’t Lose Hope

Hope. Do you have hope? 

Situations and circumstances of life come crashing in some days and any “normal” person would get depressed or, at the very least, stressed out! But…a very important but. When we place our hope in God we can see the victory and not be a victim. We can have hope when everyone else says it’s hopeless; we can have peace in the midst of a storm.

“Why are you sad, O my soul? Why have you become troubled within me? Hope in God, for I will praise Him again, my help and my God.” Psalm 43:5 NLV

Hope in God…HOPE in God… Hope in GOD!

King David wrote this after he had experienced many trials. Because He kept his hope in God he also experienced many victories . When he went out to face Goliath as a young man, King Saul was concerned for his safety but David’s response was “The Lord delivered me from the lion and the bear, so who is this uncircumcised Philistine?”  His hope was in God’s strength, not his own.

When a problem comes that seems too big for us to handle, that’s a good thing. It means God will show up to fight it for us. If the things we face in life are only small and insignificant we won’t gain any strength or character.

Now don’t get the wrong idea, I’m not saying that we should run around looking for trouble – not at all; it will come sure enough but when it does come, look up to Jesus, your source of help – don’t lose hope!

“I look to the hills! Where will I find help? 2 It will come from the Lord, who created the heavens and the earth. 3 The Lord is your protector, and he won’t go to sleep or let you stumble.” Psalm 121: 1-3 CEV

Hope is the stabilizing force in our lives. It will anchor our emotions and calm our fears much like a boat in rough waters.

“These two things cannot change: God cannot lie when he says something, and he cannot lie when he makes an oath.

So these two things are a great help to us who have come to God for safety. They encourage us to hold on to the hope that is ours. 19 This hope is like an anchor for us. It is strong and sure and keeps us safe.” Hebrews 6:18-19a ERV

The last few days I have been sharing a variety of verses in this morning blog. A number of them have dealt with safety and protection; others have covered God’s love and forgiveness. Each of those verses is a promise – a promise that God will not break. When we attach our hope to those promises they anchor us. They keep us from being tossed about in life’s storms. They keep us from crashing on the rocks of life.

So let’s look again at those situations and circumstances that have come crashing in like a storm surge. Let’s compare them to God and His mighty power. There is nothing that is to hard for God. We must put our hope in Him.

“I pray that the God who gives hope will fill you with much joy and peace as you trust in him. Then you will have more and more hope, and it will flow out of you by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13 ERV

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Pitch Black

Last night I learned what the saying actually means – “can’t see your hand in front of your face”.

Our power went out about 1:30 a.m. We were awaken by hearing all the little beeping alerts from the appliances and electronics throughout the house. That lasted about 2 seconds and then the power was out again and it was black.

Dave ventured out of bed to find a flashlight so he could see to turn off the heater, mission accomplished and then light was out again. Little Glory got very nervous after a few minutes of the darkness and began panting. I was really concerned for her but could see nothing. That’s when I decided to test the above cliché. I put my hand in front of my face and brought it closer. I could see nothing, I even had my hand touching my nose and couldn’t see it.

It was the strangest thing.

I had Dave give me the flashlight and I came out to the living room to find a candle. The strike of the first match lit up the room. The small candle gave off a glow that could be seen in the adjoining rooms. I lit two more – one I placed in the bathroom and the other on the kitchen bar.

Now we had light!

Glory relaxed and I read some on my phone but decided it would be best not to run the power down since I didn’t know how long it would be before we had electricity again. I did go outside to see if it was just us or the whole neighborhood was dark. Everyone was without power, there was a glow to the south from the lights in Nogales but that was it. The night was cloudy because we had rain about sunset. No moon or stars to be seen.

As I laid down on the couch these words came up in my heart.

“People don’t hide a lamp under a bowl. They put it on a lampstand. Then the light shines for everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, you should be a light for other people. Live so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:15-16 ERV

Let your light shine! Let the Father receive praise!

There are so many ways we can let our light shine. Friendship is one of the first things that come to mind – genuine friendship. Loving people who think that no one cares is like a beacon to that one. Kindness to a stranger; buying someone a tank of gas, a bag of groceries; giving them your coat or your parking space and doing it with a smile.

Jesus greeted a prostitute with forgiveness, a tax collector with acknowledgement of his value, a demoniac with peace and a divorcee with non-condemning words. He played with the children and wept with those who had lost loved ones.

He was love in action. His light was shining brightly.

There are so many around us who live in darkness. Theirs might not be a physical darkness but it’s darkness just the same. Depression. Low self-esteem. Heart ache. Financial destitution. Loneliness.

“It was God Who said, ‘The light will shine in darkness.’ He is the One Who made His light shine in our hearts. This brings us the light of knowing God’s shining-greatness which is seen in Christ’s face.” II Corinthians 4:6 NLV

We’ve had God place His light of love in our hearts. It’s up to us to set it on a lampstand for others to see. I know how important just a small light can be. Thankfully, the power came back on about an hour or so later.

Ask the Lord to show you how you can light up the darkness for those around you.

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