The Power of Hope and Praise

 

     I have witnessed the glimmer of hope in the eyes of those who have endured great suffering. I have watched Christians move small step by small step through sickness, through the death of a loved one, through a divorce, through a difficult life transition, trusting and praising God. How?

     How do we get to the point of trusting God with absolutely everything? When do we give up the control and follow Him? The complete surrender comes suddenly for some, gradually for others, the surrender never comes, even for those who love Jesus.

     It’s easy to express our praise through the days of ease and comfort isn’t it? We can thank Him for the easy blessings of everyday life, but when something unexpected happens or we watch a friend or loved one suffer, it is difficult to trust.

     We live in a fallen world. We can’t deny it, but God is in charge. He planned ahead of time for our redemption through the suffering of Jesus. He has a plan for us and He will walk us through our lives with hope. Psalm 42 and 43 are written by King David at a low point in his life, when he feared death from many enemies. Maybe you can relate. Are you feeling attacked and surrounded by enemies of your own? So was he.

Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Psalm 42:5a, 11a and Psalm 43:5a.

    Listen to the second part of the verses:

Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God.  Psalm 42:5b, 11b and Psalm 43:5b

     I will yet praise Him. I will hope in Him. My Savior and my God.

     Hang on to the hope of our Savior. Let Him be your consistant anchor. Where does He want you to go? What does He ask you to do? His way will bless you with hope, comfort and peace. Trust Him.

Here is a blessing for you today:

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Romans 15:13

Amen!

All Things In His Hands

 

     Many of you know I am legally blind. When our oldest daughter was about 8 years old, she called from her friend’s house to see if her dad could pick her up. It was just around the block, but it was getting dark and she was scared. I told her he wasn’t home and she would need to walk. I knew I would not be able to bring her home because of the darkness.

     I told her I would have the light on and be there waiting. When she walked in the door, she said, “I wasn’t even scared. I sang, ‘He’s Got the Whole World In His Hands’ the whole way home.” Isn’t that a good reminder to all of us? He is in charge of all things. I have noticed the term, “all things” over and over again in the Bible. Here are a few verses for you.

Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made.  John 1:3

Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under His power and that He had come from God and was returning to God.  John 13:3

He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all-how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?  Romans 8:32

For in Him all things were created; things in heaven and on earth visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.  Colossians 1:16-17

     All things are His. The whole world is in His hands and so are you. Relax and be at peace in the darkness. His light is in you and surrounds you.

Father,

Thank You for Jesus. You have given Him authority over us. He was there at the beginning and He is the Word come to life. Give us Your peace.

In Jesus name,

Amen

His Strength

 

     Where will God take you and me this year? Who will He place in our path? He is with us wherever we go. He will provide the strength we need and the power to overcome evil and live life abundantly, full of peace, joy and hope. I’m ready to take a step of faith into the year ahead. Are you?

     Recommit your life to Jesus this year, step by step. Ask Him for strength to take the next step with Him. He will provide the words, the timing, the people and the comfort we need at the appropriate time. He can be all things to us and we can do all things through Him.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

     Apart from Him, we can do nothing. (see John 15:5) Let’s keep our hearts and minds focused on Jesus this year. The true value in life will be the things we do to glorify Him. Those deeds and workings of the heart flow from the Holy Spirit within us and these are the things that will follow us into heaven and nothing else. I want to seek His advice, serve Him with my whole heart and settle into the light of His glory.

     Let’s make this year count for Jesus, living the abundant life found only in Him. His victory is ours. We are overcomers and we can do all things through and for Him. Let our lives become a testimony to Him, through Him, for Him.

Amen

Our Testimony

 

     As overcomers living the abundant life in Christ, we have a story to tell. A testimony of Jesus, the light of life.The words of our testimony, through the blood of Jesus, bring great power into our short lives on earth.

They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony. They did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. Revelation 12:11

     They “triumphed” over the devil. Yesterday we read about the power of overcoming evil with good. Today we see the word of our testimony, recognizing the power of the blood of Jesus giving us the ability to “triumph.” Jesus gives us life now and life forevermore. Let’s overcome evil this year and triumph over the devil’s wily ways.

Father,

We have the word of our testimony. Our power comes from the holy blood of our Lord, Jesus. Your Son came to live life on earth, fully God and fully man, from the baby in the manger to the cross that conquered death. We praise You today.

In Jesus name,

Amen

 

Overcomers

 

     Jesus conquered the grave for us. Death no longer has a hold on us. Death brings us into eternity, life lived forever in the very presence of the Most-High God. Allow that miraculous promise to live continually in your heart. One day, as believers, we will all be together in a new heaven and a new earth forever.

     Do not let this short life hold you hostage with fear, doubt and grief. Jesus overcame everything for us and because of His sacrifice, we have power over the evil one. Take in the following verses. The Holy Spirit within us gives us the power of Christ to overcome the world around us.

“I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”  John 16:33

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:21

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 1 John 4:4

For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 1 John 5:4

     Notice the word, “overcome” in the verses above. Victory is ours! We are overcomers. We overcome evil with good. The One within us is more powerful than the evil one. We overcome the world! Take heart! We have faith, faith in Jesus.

Lord,

We are the overcomers because of Your life, death and resurrection. We carry that hope of salvation with us every single day. Overcoming evil with good is only possible through Jesus.

Amen

Abundance

 

     Happy New Year! I pray this year will be filled with the joy and peace of our Lord, Jesus. Remembering the gifts we have available to us inwardly from the Holy Spirit will be a good way to start us on our way into the new year.

     The abundant life is offered to us through Jesus. It doesn’t mean life will be comfortable and easy. We all know life has its share of difficulties, can be hard to maneuver, and is often filled with suffering and grief, but Jesus takes us to a place above the earth, into the heavenly realms. Here is His promise to you and me as we begin this year.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life and have it to the full. John 10:10

     The New King James version says that “we may have life and have it more abundantly.”

     Jesus offers life more abundantly, life filled with the Spirit, life lived with others in mind, life lived generously, sacrificially, a life offering hope and peace and joy. That is my wish for all of us this year. May we have life, to the full, until it overflows, through Jesus.

Father,

Thank You for the abundant life promised through Jesus. May we live in His peace and in His joy this year, no matter the circumstances surrounding us. He has overcome the world, and we can come boldly to the throne room of heaven. Thank You.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Times of Refreshing

 

     My husband and I have spent the last two weeks, alone, due to Covid, first in one daughter’s family and then, in the other. The two of us have stayed healthy over these last two years, have our boosters, and I have to say, these two weeks have been a much-needed time to reflect and refresh our minds and souls.

     I have never been so ready to turn the page to a brand-new year. This last year has been filled with fear, with uncertainty, with a roller coaster of hope, followed by despair. The words of the Psalms echoed our cries to God as we watched our grandson suffering seizures, hospital stays and side effects from powerful medications. Watching him and our daughter and son-in-law go through this time has brought buckets of tears but through it all we have found hope in the strength of the human spirit, fueled with our faith in Christ.

     Gavin is doing extremely well, (praise God). The medications have been sorted and there have been no seizures in over three months. And the unexpected miracle of another baby on the way for our other daughter and son-in-law has brought such joy during this time.

     Each time I have gone through a crisis in my life, I have made a promise to never take for granted another ordinary day in life.  And I have made that promise again as I praise God this morning. I wish for you times of reflection and refreshing this year. My husband and I are introverts by nature and these weeks of crossword puzzles, reading, watching movies, taking long walks, listening to a Bible podcast and taking more time to pray, have brought back a deep sense of peace and joy that has been missing most of this year.

     Once again, I thank you for your prayers, for your friendship, for your fellowship and for entering into this experience with us. Many of you shared with me tales of your own times of suffering with kids, grandkids, grief and hope. We are in this together and I thank God for you. Never be afraid to reach out. The power of prayer is real. It lifts us up as we find hope renewed.

God bless you!

I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint. Jeremiah 31:25

Then Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.”  Mark 6:31a

Father,

Give each of us times of refreshing and relaxation, times of quiet prayer with You. Thank You for the miracles surrounding us, for the hope we find in You and each other. Give each person reading this morning, a sense of joy in You. Guide us into this New Year with hope.

In Jesus name,

Amen