God’s Word, My Hope

When chaos takes over sanity, joy eludes the soul. The heart grows weak and strength wains. Weariness sets in….

It is midnight and I am wide awake. My mind will not turn off the noise of the lawlessness that is pervading in so many of the cities of our nation. There is no rest because of the noise, there is no peace because of the panic, there is no love because of the hate. There is no hope because of the despair.

As I observe this stressful time, I wonder, how is it possible that so much strife could have surfaced in such a short time? Where is law and order, the government of the people and for the people? I cannot begin to imagine the anguish of those who are the targets of hate and anger.

I turn to my source of life, the Lord Jesus Christ, my Savior and my refuge. Then I am encouraged to look beyond the events of the day, the events of this age, and instead look at the triumph of His Presence within me. I listen to what He has said, His words that give solace and strength. Words that are life and hope for the future. In His words there is grace, peace and love. In His Presence I find comfort and hope for eternal rest in Him.

There is no other name above His Name. No other presence that can give peace. No one else can give victory over life’s perplexing problems. I speak the Name, Jesus, and he brings healing to my soul. Just to hear His Name, is like music to my ears. To know his Name gives joy to my heart. Jesus is the answer to living in a fallen and broken world of division, stress and chaos. He is my hope. His words give assurance of His love for me. I will praise Him and give Him glory.

“Do not be anxious about anything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is pure, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things.” Phil 4:6-8

It is now 2:00 AM. I have praised Him, worshiped Him, have been nourished by his Word, and listened to His voice. I feel the warmth of His Presence as I close my eyes in expectation of peaceful sleep. I know He is watching over me, His Words, and the power of the Holy Spirit, will give me strength for tomorrow, and hope for the days ahead.

Jesus, Our Peace

These are troubling times. Times of despair for many people. Times of grief and times of pain and suffering. Times of fear. What would you say to a world filled with confusion and chaos, world lost in unbelief in a loving Savior?

There is only one thing to be said, and that one thing is the truth. The truth of a Savior who gave His life on a cross to save us from this chaotic world. His name is Jesus. He came to reconcile us to God, our Creator.

These are hard times, yes, but we can use this time to learn to know Jesus, to go deeper into His life and the meaning of our life in Him.

Sometimes it seems as though I haven’t learned very much. When I look back at those early years, and remember the devotion, the love, the excitement of knowing Him and growing in His Spirit; of learning who He is and who I am in relation to Him, I now realize that there is so much more to learn. My life has changed so many times from when I first accepted Him to be my Savior and learned that He is Lord of all. But I want to know more.

I want to use this time of isolation as an opportunity to delve deeper into His written Word. I want to spend time in prayer and seek to know more of Him. I want to know His peace and that His presence is with me. I am reminded of the Scripture in Philippians 4:8-9, the Apostle Paul advises the church: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things, …and the God of peace will be with you.”

Another Scripture to ponder, found in Colossians 3:2-4, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life appears, then you also will appear with Him in Glory.”

Jesus is our salvation from these troubling times. He is knocking at the door of hearts wanting to come in to give comfort and confidence in His great love. He is our peace.

God’s Awesome Promises

Have you ever meditated on the promises that are given to those who are chosen and called by God to follow Him? When I try to comprehend the many blessings that are promised in the Scriptures, I am overwhelmed with awe. Those promises are given for the hope and good of all who will trust in Him. I should never be downcast if I would always believe those promises are meant to bless….even me.

His promises are unfailing, (1Kings 8:56); grounded in Jesus, (2Cor 1:20); assured by Divine ability, (Rom 4:21); have infinite value, (2Pet 1:4); and culminate in everlasting life, (1Jn 2:25).

There is hope in the promises that are given to all who are committed to living for Jesus, those who are committed to His will and His Word. Those called and chosen by God to follow Him will receive all of His promises for life unending. The Holy Spirit is with them now and forever. They will never be without His counsel, His grace, His hope, and His anointing.

His promises give unlimited blessings to believers, (Mk 9:23); answers to prayer, (Mk 11:24); removal of obstacles, (Lk 17:6); Divine sonship (children of God), (John 1:12); Spiritual fullness, (John 6:35); Spiritual light, (John 12:46); power for service, (John 14:12); salvation, (Rom 1:16). This list just names a few. I could go on and on and not tire of reminding myself and others of His unending grace and love. You can find them all in His Holy Word, the Bible.

There is an old hymn written by R. Kelso Carter and Norman E Johnson that should be sung with gusto and conviction….

Standing on the promises of Christ my King, Through eternal ages let His praises ring! Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing…

Standing on the promises that cannot fail when the howling storms of doubt and fear assail, By the living Word of God I shall prevail…

Standing on the promises of Christ the Lord, Bound to Him eternally by love’s strong cord, Overcoming daily with the Spirit’s Sword, Standing on the promises of God.

God With Us, The Hope of Glory

I need only to listen to his word, so that I can hear the promises given through the babe in the manger. The child, that will grow into a life of giving, not only the tangible things, but also the unseen things. The babe born in a manger to become our living Savior. He is God with us. He is Christ within us. Born to die to save us for life with Him in glory forever.

How can I describe the wonder of His presence? It is inner peace that fills my heart when I become still and just listen to the silence. In this silence I am given hope, I am encouraged, I am blessed with His grace. When I fill my mind with His words, I have joy unspeakable.

Much has been written in the Scriptures about being still and listening. To name a few:

Mark 9:7 “…this is my Son, listen to Him…”

John 10:27 “…My sheep listen to my voice…”

Acts 3:22 “…listen to everything he tells you..”

James 1:19 “…be quick to listen…”

Ps 37:7 …”Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him…”

Ps 46:10 …”Be still and know that I am God.”

He was born in a manger in the city of Bethlehem. Listen the words of this famous carol:

“O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie. Above, the deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by…”

Another carol, perhaps the favorite of many:

“Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright round yon virgin mother and child. Holy infant so tender and mild. Sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace.”

As Christmas Day approaches let us all listen and believe the words that have been written to reveal that the babe in the manger, born 0ver 2000 years ago is God incarnate. Jesus, the Son, Emmanuel, God with us.

“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given. And the government will be on His shoulders, and He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6

God’s Amazing Grace

Thank you Jesus for the gift of your amazing grace. You were there when I didn’t know you. You were there when I was conceived, when I was born and took my first breath. You heard me speak my first words and watched me take my first steps. You cared for me and nurtured me through the formative years of childhood. You protected me through the challenging teenage years. You gave me a good husband and three wonderful children. You cared for us all and I didn’t recognize you.

You were there when my dad was killed in an auto accident. In my grief you reached out to me. You beckoned me to call upon you. And when I did you saved me for your Kingdom. You strengthened me to bear the loss of my grandmother, mother, three siblings and many dear friends. You taught me how to live and how to love. You encouraged me and gave me hope. You blessed me with a new mission for my life, reaching out to others, living beyond myself. You were there when my husband passed from this world. You comforted me with your presence. You drew me closer to you and called me to be a witness to your truth, your majesty, and to your undying love. You gave me the joy of being a grandparent. And later helped me through the sorrow of losing one. By your grace I am comforted by knowing that she is with you.

In time, you blessed me with another good husband and increased my family. You led us out into the mission field to serve you by serving others, strangers to us but not to you. You know the world’s need and you send your servants to them. Not an easy task, but rewarding to be used by your amazing grace. And then…you were there when I became my husband’s caregiver and when he, like the first, passed on to be with you in a greater capacity.

You never left me alone, you were always there, even when I neglected you. I am so thankful for your grace that sustained me and patiently waited for me to seek your face again. Then you taught me to truly worship you with all my heart and to desire your presence. You have given me much more than I can ever comprehend or deserve. My gratitude to you is beyond words to express. Your amazing grace is beyond understanding. Your grace provides for the joy of life lived for you. It is only by your grace that I can abide in you and be confident of life eternal with you. It is only by your grace that I am free of condemnation. Only by your grace, that I live a meaningful life, filled with the knowledge of your love for me. Your grace is a gift to the world and a treasure to proclaim.

Thank you Jesus, for your amazing grace.

Facing Challenges

I think one of the hardest things for us to face is change. We become accustomed to familiar things that make us feel secure. When that security is threatened or taken away it can cause a traumatic reaction within us. Jim and I were married for 26 years. I remember the day he died very well. His condition worsened three weeks before, making it necessary for him to need oxygen to breathe. Our daughter, Debra, who was married and living in another city, had come to help care for him. We nursed him until the day before he died when he requested to be admitted to a hospital. I spent the night there with him and went home the next morning to rest. Debbie took over the watch. It was 11:45 AM when I was startled by the phone ringing. It was Debbie calling to say that her dad had just died. I rushed to the hospital with a song singing in my spirit. “The Joy of the Lord is My Strength.” That song kept repeating in my heart all through the preparation for the funeral, and unknown to me was chosen as the processional out of the church. I know the Lord wanted me to remember those words on that day and throughout the days to come.

I experienced the normal feelings of grief, having no purpose, no reason to keep on keeping on. The home that I had loved and felt so secure in had suddenly become a very empty house. I began to stay away from it. I felt empty also, with no sense of direction. Finally, I realized that I really needed to stay there. I was running away from the very thing I needed to help in the healing process. My home had always been a place where I could find refreshing and peace.

The first weekend that I made myself stay there, I walked to the cemetery where Jim was buried. As I stood there looking at his grave and thinking how I just couldn’t go on without him, I heard another song in my heart. The song was a familiar hymn, at first the melody, then the words came to my mind. “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’s blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus’s name. On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.” That became a turning point for me. I began to allow the Lord to minister His love to my aching soul. Soon that empty house did not seem empty anymore because I filled it with prayer. Jesus became a very real presence again and prayer became a life giving force that I cannot live without. The Lord taught me not to be so dependent on anything in this world that I could not give it up for His sake. He has said, “Seek first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matt. 6:33). I can testify to that truth, for He has given me an abundance of love, purpose, and direction.

The center of all I have learned is knowing the power in the name, Jesus. Just to speak His Name in faith, releases His power to bring healing and wholeness. Not only to the one speaking but also to those being spoken to or for whom we are praying. His power is available to all those who call on His Name and believe.

The most important thing for the Christian to practice is to worship Jesus with a thankful heart and to desire to be in His presence above all else.

Jesus is my Lord, my hope, my peace, my joy, and I love Him. Praise His holy Name!