Category: Hope

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A Son is Given

It’s so hard to have your children or your grandchildren leave when they have been for a visit.

I can only imagine what the conversation must have been like when our Heavenly Father and Jesus spoke about His coming to earth. Coming in the form of a baby who would grow into a sinless man.

“A child has been born for us. We have been given a son who will be our ruler. His names will be Wonderful Advisor and Mighty God, Eternal Father and Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6 CEV

No parent likes to see their children leave. Those of us parents who have had children join the military or enter other “dangerous” occupations know the heart ache, the apprehension and even the worry of having our children go off into the unknown, into hostile and harmful circumstances.

But if you’re God…

You’re Son has been with you every moment from eternity past. You have created universes together; you have intervened in the lives of your creation in a powerful way. Never a cross word spoken, never a rebellious thought or action – your Son is your dearest friend, He’s a part of all you do and have ever done.

He’s leaving now – headed to earth. He will be loved by some, treated with ambivalence by most and hated by others and they will plot to kill Him. Although You know all this, You still choose to let Him go and even more than that You choose to let Him die so that He can provide reconciliation for all those who are incapable of providing for themselves.

“17 When anyone is in Christ, it is a whole new world. The old things are gone; suddenly, everything is new! 18 All this is from God. Through Christ, God made peace between himself and us. And God gave us the work of bringing people into peace with him. 19 I mean that God was in Christ, making peace between the world and himself. In Christ, God did not hold people guilty for their sins. And he gave us this message of peace to tell people.” II Corinthians 5:17

And all of this was not because of our great value or importance but because of His great love.

“Christ died for us when we were unable to help ourselves. We were living against God, but at just the right time Christ died for us. 7 Very few people will die to save the life of someone else, even if it is for a good person. Someone might be willing to die for an especially good person.But Christ died for us while we were still sinners, and by this God showed how much he loves us.9 We have been made right with God by the blood sacrifice of Christ. So through Christ we will surely be saved from God’s anger.” Romans 5:6-9

“Unto to us a Son is given”!

Would you be willing to give your son? Aren’t you glad He did!!

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Face the Future with Hope

You know that I start each day with prayer. This morning is no different. Praying for my children, grandchildren and great grandchildren is a large part of my morning prayer time.

I had a praying grandmother. She and my grandfather would spend hours in prayer. It was such an encouragement to know she was praying, daily and sometimes hourly, for me. When I had children of my own, that comforted me in a greater way.

Now I am the matriarch of our family, and I take my responsibility of prayer very serious. Life has changed tremendously over the last 70 plus years. Things my grandmother could never imagine have come into being and I wonder what the future will be like for my grands.

It doesn’t cause me to fear but it does keep me in prayer.

“ I say this because I know the plans that I have for you.” This message is from the Lord. ‘I have good plans for you. I don’t plan to hurt you. I plan to give you hope and a good future. 12 Then you will call my name. You will come to me and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will search for me, and when you search for me with all your heart, you will find me. 14 I will let you find me.’ This message is from the Lord.” Jeremiah 29:11-14 ERV

Each generation has had their search for God. There are no spiritual grandchildren. Every person needs to have their own personal relationship with the Lord. The good news is that when we search for the Father, we find Him, and we find the hopeful future that He has planned for us.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God has great mercy, and because of his mercy he gave us a new life. This new life brings us a living hope through Jesus Christ’s resurrection from death. 4 Now we wait to receive the blessings God has for his children. These blessings are kept for you in heaven. They cannot be ruined or be destroyed or lose their beauty.” I Peter 1:3-4 ERV

In Christ, we have a living hope. It’s a hope that grows, giving us strength for each day. Great Is Thy Faithfulness, the favorite old hymn, puts it this way.

“Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow
Blessings all mine with 10,000 beside

Great is Thy faithfulness
Great is Thy faithfulness
Morning by morning new mercies I see
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me”

The Apostle Paul and King David knew this hope long before these words were ever penned.

“ 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

“It may seem that those who are poor and needy have been forgotten, but God will not forget them. He will not leave them without hope.” Psalm 9:18 ERV

“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 6:18-19 ERV

As I pray for my family, I also pray for you. I pray that God who gives hope will fill you with joy and peace as you face the future!

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A Light in the Dark

Have you ever been somewhere when it was completely dark? Without light we become uncertain, even, afraid.

But once there is a tiny flicker of light, we begin to have hope and as the light gets brighter confidence comes and peace comes with it. God’s first recorded action was creating light.

No one has a life with no dark moments. For some those moments may be serious, life-threatening illness, for others they may be an emotional depression or a catastrophic accident.

If you are in that place of darkness, I pray that these verses I share with you today will serve as the light of hope that you need.

“When the Lord Saves You from Death

1 I love you, Lord! You answered my prayers.
2 You paid attention to me, and so I will pray to you as long as I live.
3 Death attacked from all sides, and I was captured by its painful chains. But when I was really hurting, 4 I prayed and said, “Lord, please don’t let me die!”

5 You are kind, Lord, so good and merciful. 6 You protect ordinary people, and when I was helpless, you saved me 7 and treated me so kindly that I don’t need to worry anymore.

8 You, Lord, have saved my life from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling. 9 Now I will walk at your side in this land of the living. 10 I was faithful to you when I was suffering, 11 though in my confusion I said, ‘I can’t trust anyone!’

12 What must I give you, Lord, for being so good to me? 13 I will pour out an offering of wine to you, and I will pray in your name because you have saved me. 14 I will keep my promise to you when your people meet. 15 You are deeply concerned when one of your loyal people
faces death.

16 I worship you, Lord, just as my mother did, and you have rescued me from the chains of death. 17 I will offer you a sacrifice to show how grateful I am, and I will pray. 18 I will keep my promise to you when your people 19 gather at your temple in Jerusalem. Shout praises to the Lord!” Psalm 116 CEV

Jesus knows how dark moments and situations can overwhelm us. He ministered to people in their darkest hours.

“Once again Jesus spoke to the people. This time he said, ‘I am the light for the world! Follow me, and you won’t be walking in the dark. You will have the light that gives life.” John 8:12 CEV

Join with me and the writer of this psalm and shout a praise to the Lord for being your light in the darkness.

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Planting New Seeds

Fall is a good time to plant in Arizona. The cooler weather and our mostly mild winters provide a good growing environment.

I miss my garden and my flowers so now I plant a different kind of seed.

In years past, I have chosen my plants carefully. Measuring out the distance between, giving them enough room to grow without hindering the growth of what was around them. Potting soil added to the ground, automatic watering system in place and lots of tender loving care. I would imagine how they will look in 5, 10 and even 20 years. Gardens planted at homes I no longer live in brought temporary joy.

More important are the other seeds I have sown in the past 10, 20, 50 even 70 years. Seeds that have produced a wonderful marriage (although we had to pull up some weeds along the way), 3 children and their mates, 7 grandchildren, 2 great grandchildren, numerous friends who have been a part of our lives for so many years. Sowing seeds from God’s word to encourage, bring hope and God’s forgiveness of sin.

And then there are the seeds that had to be rooted out, things like bitterness, anger, insecurity, pride, selfishness and discontentment. These had to be dug up and pulled out by the roots so that the other seeds could grow and produce fruit.

This morning, I won’t be planting physical seedlings, I will be planting seeds of hospitality, acceptance, forgiveness, peace, joy, healing and restoration. It is my desire that all who share my life’s garden will know God’s goodness and the abundant life that He has given us in Christ Jesus.

“Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.” Hosea 10:12 KJV

“This is what the story means: The seed is God’s message, 12 and the seeds that fell along the road are the people who hear the message. But the devil comes and snatches the message out of their hearts, so that they will not believe and be saved. 13 The seeds that fell on rocky ground are the people who gladly hear the message and accept it. But they don’t have deep roots, and they believe only for a little while. As soon as life gets hard, they give up.

14 The seeds that fell among the thornbushes are also people who hear the message. But they are so eager for riches and pleasures that they never produce anything. 15 Those seeds that fell on good ground are the people who listen to the message and keep it in good and honest hearts. They last and produce a harvest.” Luke 8:11-15 CEV

Happy Planting!

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Follow the Cloud

I am especially drawn to beautiful cloud formations.

Years back Dave and I would travel from Montana to Iowa each summer. I would constantly be telling Dave to stop so I could get another picture of “those beautiful clouds”. He would laugh, sometimes stopping and at other times not.

I even made a calendar with pictures of my favorite cloud photos for the upcoming year. One day Dave told me he was sure I would be looking up and taking pictures when the Lord returns in the clouds. My response, “I certainly hope so”.

Clouds have a true significance in the Bible.

When the Israelites left Egypt Moses was told to follow the cloud.

“With the tall cloud, you led them by day, and at night you used the column of fire. That is the way you lit their path and showed them where to go.” Nehemiah 9:12 ERV

They were to stop and camp when the cloud stood still, and they were to move on when the cloud did. Not GPS but a good navigational system all the same.

“You must follow the Lord your God. Respect him. Obey his commands and do what he tells you. Serve the Lord your God, and never leave him.” Deuteronomy 13:4 ERV

Literally and figuratively the Israelites were told to follow the Lord. At first this meant the cloud and later is meant following His word.

Another place we find a cloud is when Solomon dedicated the Temple to the Lord’s service.

“They praised the Lord, singing, ‘The Lord is good. His faithful love will last forever.’ Then the Lord’s Temple was filled with a cloud. 14 The priests could not continue to serve because of the cloud, because the Glory of the Lord filled the Temple.” II Chronicles 5:13-14 ERV

It just makes me think that God wraps Himself in the clouds so He can be close to His people. Guiding them, protecting them, worshipping with them.

One more reference in Scripture, I want us to look at before we close this morning.

“After Jesus said this, he was lifted up into the sky. While they were watching, he went into a cloud, and they could not see him. 10 They were staring into the sky where he had gone. Suddenly two men wearing white clothes were standing beside them. 11 They said, ‘Men from Galilee, why are you standing here looking into the sky? You saw Jesus carried away from you into heaven. He will come back in the same way you saw him go.'” Acts 1:9-11 ERV

Jesus was resurrected, that is true. What is also true is that He will return, and I believe it to be soon. Keep looking up, watch the clouds. They are reminders to remain hopeful and ready for His return.

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Prayers of Hope

I sit here this morning in prayer for all those in the wake of Hurricane Helene.

Those who have missing loved ones; those who have loved ones who have died and those who have experienced the loss of their earthly possessions.

Praying also for those who are coming to help. First responders, good Samaritans bringing medical aid, food and water, clothing and temporary shelter. Those bringing hope!

I saw a post by Franklin Graham that over 800 volunteers have arrived to help the people in North Carolina. Medical teams, field hospitals, water, clean-up crews working and praying in those communities. May I encourage you to give a donation to Samaritan’s Purse to help fund these efforts.

Many of you are like me. So far away and unable to physically help but we can pray!

Prayer is never a secondary response. Prayer is powerful.

This morning my heart was drawn to two different Psalms.

“I will always praise the Lord.
2 With all my heart,
    I will praise the Lord.
Let all who are helpless,
    listen and be glad.
3 Honor the Lord with me!
    Celebrate his great name.

4 I asked the Lord for help,
and he saved me
    from all my fears.
5 Keep your eyes on the Lord!
You will shine like the sun
    and never blush with shame.
6 I was a nobody, but I prayed,
and the Lord saved me
    from all my troubles.

7 If you honor the Lord,
    his angel will protect you.
8 Discover for yourself
    that the Lord is kind.
Come to him for protection,
    and you will be glad.” Psalm 34:1-8 CEV

“I look to the hills!
    Where will I find help?
2 It will come from the Lord,
    who created heaven and earth.

3 The Lord is your protector,
and he won’t go to sleep
    or let you stumble.
4 The protector of Israel
doesn’t doze
    or ever get drowsy.

5 The Lord is your protector,
there at your right side
    to shade you from the sun.
6 You won’t be harmed
by the sun during the day
    or by the moon at night.

7 The Lord will protect you
and keep you safe
    from all dangers.
8 The Lord will protect you
now and always
    wherever you go.” Psalm 121 CEV

“Father, we pray for all who are recovering from this devastation. Comfort them, protect them, give them courage and hope. Let them experience Your love in a powerful way. Provide for them as only you can. Let them know that You are there! A very present help in time of trouble. In Jesus Name, Amen.”

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Not Easily Broken

Those are the words I was given for today. However, the context they were applied to is a new concept for me.

“A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:12 NLT

Most of the time this verse is taught on the message conveyed is one of friendship or marriage. Friend helping friend or husband, wife, and God forming a three-fold cord. I agree with both those teachings.

But this morning my thoughts went to I Corinthians 13.

” Love will never end. But all those gifts will come to an end—even the gift of prophecy, the gift of speaking in different kinds of languages, and the gift of knowledge. 9 These will all end because this knowledge and these prophecies we have are not complete. 10 But when perfection comes, the things that are not complete will end.

11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, and I made plans like a child. When I became a man, I stopped those childish ways. 12 It is the same with us. Now we see God as if we are looking at a reflection in a mirror. But then, in the future, we will see him right before our eyes. Now I know only a part, but at that time I will know fully, as God has known me. 13 So these three things continue: faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is love.” I Corinthians 13:8-13 ERV

The spiritual gifts we have been given will come to end one day. Their purpose will be complete. When we stand face to face with the Father there will no longer be any need for them because we will be complete in His presence.

Until then we need to continue to experience and share the gifts He has given us. These gifts aid us as we grow in our walk with Him from childhood to maturity. The more we learn of God the clearer we see Him and His wonderful love for us.

Three things should continually guide us in our walk; faith, hope and love.

In Christ we have hope, hope for a future and hope makes not ashamed. Then our faith gives life to what we hope for; faith gives hope substance. But without love faith doesn’t work.

“Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.” Hebrews 11:1 NLT

“ And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.” Hebrews 11:6 NLT

“Hope never makes us ashamed because the love of God has come into our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who was given to us.” Romans 5:5 NLV

” I say this because our hope of being right with God comes through faith. And the Spirit helps us feel sure as we wait for that hope. 6 When someone belongs to Christ Jesus, it is not important if they are circumcised or not. The important thing is faith—the kind of faith that works through love.” Galatians 5:5-6 ERV

Father, I desire to see your love working in me today as I grow in you and to see your love working through me today so that others may see you more clearly. In Jesus name.

The strength we have for today can be found in the three-fold cord of faith, hope and love. The greatest of these is love!

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Sounds of Refreshing

What sounds wake you up in the night? For me it was the sound of distant thunder. About 2 hours ago, it was slightly muffled, and I knew it was far away but there it was. Hopefully, the promise of rain.

All around us there has been rain but here in our little community we’ve had very little. As I listened the thunder seemed to be coming closer and then the patter of rain drops on the roof. At first, I stayed in bed thinking it was but a brief shower. To my pleasant surprise it wasn’t. It’s a gentle shower, not a pelting deluge, that has continued for well over an hour.

I walked out on the patio and just stood there taking it all in. There is something so soothing about the smell of rain in the desert. The dry earth welcoming the moisture; the sage brush, palo verde, mesquite, saguaro and the ocotillo exhale their dryness and welcome the refreshing.

Oh, the refreshing! The welcomed refreshing.

“When your land was thirsty, you sent showers to refresh it.” Psalm 68:9 CEV

“Thirsty deserts will be glad; barren lands will celebrate and blossom with flowers. 2 Deserts will bloom everywhere and sing joyful songs. They will be as majestic as Mount Lebanon, as glorious as Mount Carmel or Sharon Valley. Everyone will see the wonderful splendor of the Lord our God.” Isaiah 35:1-2 CEV

But rain isn’t just for the dry ground or the barren desert. The Lord promises a refreshing for our souls.

“I will bless the thirsty land by sending streams of water; I will bless your descendants by giving them my Spirit. 4 They will spring up like grass or like willow trees near flowing streams.” Isaiah 44:3-4 CEV

“Let’s do our best to know the Lord. His coming is as certain as the morning sun;
he will refresh us like rain renewing the earth in the springtime.” Hosea 6:3 CEV

“The Lord your God wins victory after victory and is always with you. He celebrates and sings because of you, and he will refresh your life with his love.” Zephaniah 3:17 CEV

“You let me rest in fields of green grass. You lead me to streams of peaceful water,
3 and you refresh my life.” Psalm 23:2-3 CEV

There’s only a few light sprinkles falling now but the earth is refreshed. Let me share one more verse of refreshing with you.

“Rain and snow fall from the sky. But they don’t return without watering the earth that produces seeds to plant and grain to eat. 11 That’s how it is with my words. They don’t return to me without doing everything I send them to do.” Isaiah 55:10-11 CEV

God’s word is like the rain that showers the earth bringing new life and refreshing. If you are thirsty, if you are dry, look to God’s word and soak in the rain of His Spirit.

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He Reigns

The news has been filled with stories on world leaders; some have died, some refuse to vacate the office that is no longer theirs and others are vying to be elected.

However, there is one King, the King of Kings, who will never be dethroned.

“ For God is the King of all the earth. Sing praises with a well written song. 8 God rules over the nations. God sits on His holy throne. 9 The rulers of the people have gathered together as the people of the God of Abraham. For the powers of the earth belong to God. He is much honored.” Psalm 47:7-9 NLV

Through the ages many have sat on thrones and commanded homage. Peoples have been subjected to cruel and unjust rulers while others have heralded theirs as wise, kind, righteous and good.

But none of those rulers have ruled for any great length of time.

We are blessed to be under the lordship of the eternal King.

“‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God All-Powerful. He always was, he is, and he is coming.’…They worshiped him who lives forever and ever. They put their crowns down before the throne and said, 11 ‘Our Lord and God! You are worthy to receive glory and honor and power.
You made all things. Everything existed and was made because you wanted it.’” Revelation 4:8-12 ERV

When there is so much uncertainty, we who have a relationship with Christ can trust His immutability, His unconditional love, His mercy and His grace.

“‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” This saying is true, and it can be trusted. I was the worst sinner of all! 16 But since I was worse than anyone else, God had mercy on me and let me be an example of the endless patience of Christ Jesus. He did this so that others would put their faith in Christ and have eternal life. 17 I pray that honor and glory will always be given to the only God, who lives forever and is the invisible and eternal King! Amen.” I Timothy 1:15-17 CEV

Before we close there is one more thing that we must always remember about our King of Kings and Lord of Lords, who reigns eternal. He is just, absolutely, and He is merciful and gracious and always ready to help us in our time of need.

“ Therefore let us [with privilege] approach the throne of grace [that is, the throne of God’s gracious favor] with confidence and without fear, so that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find [His amazing] grace to help in time of need [an appropriate blessing, coming just at the right moment].” Hebrews 4:16 AMP

There is a song which will be sung in heaven but maybe you will join me in singing it now.

“Then I heard all beings in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and in the sea offer praise. Together, all of them were saying, “Praise, honor, glory, and strength forever and ever to the one who sits on the throne and to the Lamb!” Revelation 5:13 CEV

Our God Reigns!

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Perspective

It’s important to keep a proper perspective when going through a tough time. If we begin to look too closely at the situation it will begin to seem overwhelming. It’s important to pull back and look at things the way God’s see them.

The children of Egypt saw a sea too big to cross; God saw a stream and damned it up. Saul’s soldiers saw a giant too big to conquer; David saw a man who was no match for God. Noah saw a world filled with corruption and a devastating flood; God saw a cruise ship of salvation.

Satan saw Jesus as a dead man, buried in a tomb but God saw the resurrection!

What is your perspective? Do you see things as hopeless, do you see defeat?

“As a deer gets thirsty for streams of water, I truly am thirsty for you, my God. 2 In my heart, I am thirsty for you, the living God. When will I see your face? 3 Day and night my tears are my only food, as everyone keeps asking, “Where is your God?” 4 Sorrow floods my heart, when I remember leading the worshipers to your house. I can still hear them shout their joyful praises. 5 Why am I discouraged? Why am I restless?

I trust you! And I will praise you again because you help me, 6 and you are my God. I am deeply discouraged as I think about you from where the Jordan begins at Mount Hermon and from Mount Mizar.

7 Your vicious waves have swept over me like an angry ocean or a roaring waterfall. 8 Every day, you are kind, and at night you give me a song as my prayer to you, the living Lord God.

9 You are my mighty rock. Why have you forgotten me? Why must enemies mistreat me and make me sad? 10 Even my bones are in pain, while all day long my enemies sneer and ask, “Where is your God?”

11 Why am I discouraged? Why am I restless? I trust you! And I will praise you again because you help me, and you are my God.” Psalm 42 CEV

King David was fighting discouragement. He had been going through vicious attacks. As he laid it all out before the Lord, the circumstances hadn’t changed but his heart’s perspective had.

He remembered God’s goodness and he ended with this, “I will praise you again because you help me, and you are my God”.

Are you discouraged or disheartened? Put your hope in God!

Perspective!

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