This quote is from Corrie Ten Boom. She and her family hid Jews during World War II, and Corrie and her sister Betsie were imprisoned in concentration camps. Even in the horrible conditions, they told many there with them of the love of Christ. Once released, she went on to have a worldwide ministry sharing God’s love.
“Do not be worried and upset,” Jesus told them. “Believe in God and believe also in me. John 14:1
“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
How to focus up:
Follow Jesus’ example and get alone with God. Sing, pray, write scripture, read scripture. This doesn’t have to take a long time, a few minutes will transform your perspective and the Holy Spirit will comfort you, give you peace, and a way forward.
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Thanks for taking the time to read my article. If you aren’t signed up already, please add your email below, and hit subscribe. Each time I publish, you will receive Winning Ways to Follow Jesus in your email first. Blessings.
7 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you. 32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.
Matthew 5:43-48
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor[a] and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Romans 12:17-21
17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”[a] says the Lord.20 On the contrary:
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”[b]
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
A friend asked me this week, what do I pray for my enemies? Years ago, I worked in a Christian environment, and it wasn’t long before an enemy presented herself. This lady would do all manner of hurtful things. The shocking part was she was a Christian. At the time, I had no idea I’d be in that work situation for 10 years. But that’s where Jesus kept me, so I had to learn to get along with this person. On my way home one day, the Spirit reminded me that He loved her as much as He loved me. That truth likely began my journey to please God in that situation. When my friend asked me how to pray for her enemies, I immediately thought of my past work situation. Jesus’ biblical commands, at first glance, present an impossible task for His children. I submit that all Biblical teaching, precepts, and commands are impossible. But thankfully, Christians have God’s divine power to lead a godly life (2 Peter 1:3). Knowing this power is within should motivate us, but it might cause us to question why we struggle to live it out.
No one likes their rights trampled on. Plus, Christians and unbelievers alike have lots of pride. Many times we live for ourselves. In this area, often, we can live like the world, walking in darkness. And we justify ourselves. All this gives us plenty of obstacles to carrying out these biblical mandates. We should approach these passages with a spirit of obedience. Jesus is good, right, and just in all His ways. Jesus expects His followers to act toward enemies as He teaches us. Most of our problems come with our rebellion against what Jesus asks. We are good at developing alternative plans, rationalizations, and reasons to ignore uncomfortable commands. These commands in this passage require a dying to self on the front end. If you don’t, you will add an enemy to the situation, yourself. At the point of our salvation in Christ, each of God’s children receives the promised Holy Spirit. Acts of obedience are accomplished only through the power of the Holy Spirit. So what does it take to love our enemies, as Jesus outlines in these passages? -Die to yourself first -Obey all that Jesus outlines here. -Remember, you have the power inside you to do what pleases God. He doesn’t ask His children to do anything without the power of the Holy Spirit. He never expects us to act on our own will, ability, or desire. He looks to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him( 2 Chronicles 16:9). Luke 6:31 assumes we want to bless our enemies since we would like to be treated this way too. Jesus is trying to help us see that sometimes we are the enemy. But we don’t want to hear that. They are the wicked ones, not us. But this is not what Jesus implies. Our self-righteousness hangs us. His demands are high. Verse 35 is in no way speaking of earning your salvation. It implies that should you choose the biblical way of relating to your enemies, then you are being like Jesus. He is the only perfect one. Matthew 5:48 only highlights Jesus’ desire for His children to obey the command to love one’s enemies by declaring perfection before God when we do these actions toward our enemy. When we act as He desires, we are becoming more like Him. He is the perfect example. So why is God so hard on us? The whole Bible is about the redemption and salvation of all men. Behavior like this is so counter to human nature. What would happen if we decided to behave as Jesus tells us? What effect would our Christian behavior have on the world, our families, and our workplace? There is a high probability that our enemy will see Christ in us, and God will get the glory(Matthew 5:16). What is the outcome of this example? Possible reconciliation. Certain forgiveness in your heart(the offended one), possible salvation in Christ Jesus for the enemy. This behavior can potentially have such eternal ramifications that Jesus spells out precisely what to do. The details are clear. A life well lived in demanding situations with our enemies is a good witness. If nothing else, it gives your enemies a good impression of what Christianity is. So my friend asked, “How do I pray?” Suppose any of God’s children decide to take God at His Word and follow these instructions. In that case, you will be praying throughout the process for yourself, and your enemy, and those prayers are coming from our Counselor, the promised Holy Spirit. I know this because if you decide in your heart to follow Jesus in obedience, then He will teach you how to pray, and behave. As a child of God, you can’t read these requirements for your obedience without being impacted. You must know that whether you are mistreated for persecution or just another believer being mean-spirited toward you, God wants you to leave revenge with Him. Your assignment is to pray for all you will need to obey God, and then go in obedience to your enemy and begin your task. Do these passages take into account loving those who never respond redemptively? Do they offer anything for the offended one? I can tell you from experience that God left me in an office with someone ten years before delivering me. When He did, I left knowing I’d been obedient to Him. I’d learned my lesson, and I left at peace with myself and that person.
Some people have enemies hundreds of miles away. Maybe you have forgiven them, and for you, they are no longer an enemy. But you know they still view you as their enemy. Your requirement is to do all these passages outlined and leave the result in God’s care. Everyone is not interested in redemption. Whether your enemy is interested in redemption or not, be sure you are interested in redemption.
Let’s be sure we desire to please God and not just get revenge or keep the offense alive. Situations of injustice make enemies. Situations with enemies make Christians Christian. To act like Christ, we must focus on Christ, remember His suffering, how He acted before His enemies, and how little he talked before His enemies. Praying, giving, loving, and blessing are all required of Christ’s followers. It is how we become most like Jesus and how our enemies in life know we are Christians. I believe Jesus spends so much time teaching about this because it is one of the most profound ways to lay down our lives and to show His love to others.
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Have you been in a situation that might have typically sent you into a period of anxiety, but instead, you found yourself at peace and with a song in your heart? Just as negative emotions can draw us to God, positive ones, unexpected ones, can do the same. We find ourselves glad in stressful situations, and we thank and praise God. Or maybe we must make an intentional choice to trust God in spite of looming feelings. Either way, Isaiah has something to teach us.
As I pondered Isaiah 12:2 recently, a few ideas began to develop. Questions from another resource guided more thoughts toward application. I modified the questions for this blog.
Isaiah 12:2 says,
“Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD Himself, is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation.
I serve a God who saves. This salvation is eternal. It is also daily. He helps me to take up my cross daily (Luke 9:23-24). He saves me daily from my own weaknesses and wandering. When I put my trust in His power, then my flesh and sinful nature no longer have to control me. I choose to walk in the Spirit. When I don’t, that’s on me because 2 Peter 1:3 tells me that He gives me all I need for a godly life.
What concepts are important to remember about this verse?
Only the LORD can perform these acts
-Only the LORD can provide strength.
-Only the LORD can provide my song.
How does the verse help your faith to grow?
I notice two “I will” statements.
I will trust –
I will not be afraid-
Isaiah is confident that because God is His salvation, then his response is trust in God. Isaiah chooses not to be afraid. Because fear, as overwhelming as it can be, is still our choice. Again, God gives us everything we need to live a godly life (2 Peter 1:3).
Which concepts come to mind that apply to you?
He has always been.
He has my salvation sealed.
He has delivered me from darkness.
He has shown me His love.
He has been faithful to me.
I think when God strengthens me, He leaves me with a song. Isaiah records that God was his song. The song has strength before it and salvation after it. That sounds like a defense against the evil one and darkness. One translation says, “ Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD Himself, is my strength and my defense; He has become my salvation.
My prayer:
Dear Lord, You are my strength and my song. Your salvation is my foundation. Your song is the celebration and worship in between, which gives me strength for the journey. Help me focus on you. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Reader, you will answer these questions differently. The Holy Spirit will speak to you in personal ways for your need. After you study this, share it with another Christian who needs encouragement. Tell them what this verse means to you and about the power of God’s Word.
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Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything 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.
While this is a familiar passage, when I read it for understanding I ask some questions. Maybe my questions will give you a fresh perspective on a familiar passage to most Christians. My thoughts go like this:
What’s the command? Do not be anxious.
What’s the alternative to anxiety? I can present my requests to God.
How do I present my requests to God? By prayer – petitioning God, but also thanking God for all He’s done and will do.
What is the assurance or promise stated to happen when I do this? The peace of God will come into my heart and my mind.
How big is this peace? It transcends all my understanding and has the ability to guard my heart and my mind.
What does this peace which transcends all understanding do? It guards my heart and my mind in Christ Jesus. We are “in Christ” when we know God through Jesus. We are hidden. We are safe. We are in His protection.
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Have you wondered how to get to heaven? Many people have ideas about getting to heaven. The sources for information that are readily available many times are the ones least likely to have the answers you’re looking for.
There is an idea out there that if one has not offended humanity in some overt way, then heaven is surely possible. This is a popular belief of our day. Good works is a gospel quite prevalent in many religious sects. One must abide by a set of rules or do many works. This will surely reserve one’s place in heaven. The perpetrator of these lies leading people to hell is the enemy of our souls. The Bible says the devil, a predator, roams around seeking who he may devour (I Peter 5:8). He is successful in leading millions to believe in these ideas or others. Each of these mentioned is putting trust in oneself for salvation. It seems like a glance at humanity could bring an intelligent conclusion that salvation surely does not come from within the heart of humanity. But the enemy is vicious and clever, so the lies perpetuate from one generation to the next.
The Bible is clear that our works do not get us to heaven (Ephesians 2:8-9). We will express our faith through works once we are saved by faith in Jesus, but that is a compelling expression of our love and service to Jesus and His church, not out of obligation. The Bible is clear that no one is good, so all our sin is an offense to God (Romans 3:10-12). We all sin (Romans 3:23).
Many are missing the best information. There is only one way to fix the human heart. God made us in His image (Genesis 1:27), and He desires for us to know Him. God loves us. He loved us so much that He sent His one and only Son to die so we could have eternal life(John 3:16). Because there is only one way, there is no guessing. Jesus stated in John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me.” The statement is clear and spoken with authority by the One and Only One who can provide the way. The only way to God is through Jesus.
The world religions make it complicated and exhausting to get to God. Thank God for Jesus!. Jesus never sinned. This fact made Him the perfect sacrifice. In John 1:29, John the Baptist said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” The purpose is clear why Jesus came to earth. Jesus came to take away our sin. Because He never sinned, He could take our sin. He bore our sin when He bled and died on the cross. Because our sin is an offense to Him, we cannot get to heaven because no sin is in heaven. We have to be righteous, and when we receive Jesus, then His righteousness covers us, and we are declared righteous.
Jesus made the way for everyone to come to God through Him. Although He provided the way with His flesh and blood sacrifice, not everyone will choose Him. It is a personal choice that every person on the planet, past, present, and future, must make. What to do with Jesus? Those who choose Him can know that His resurrection ensures resurrected life for them too. The assurance is when He returns, every person who has put their faith in Him will be resurrected, whether in the grave or still alive (John 14:1-3).
Some people reject Jesus in their last bitter breath. Some receive Him in their last believing breath. But everyone will decide. It is not an objective decision. It is not an arbitrary decision. Philippians 2 tells us that one day every knee will bow. Every tongue will confess when Jesus comes again. What you find the hardest to do now will be forced out of you because no one will be able to be in His presence, see His presence, or know the reality of His coming without being in submission. But it will be too late at that moment. Every human on the planet, past, present, and future, has to decide whether they will make that choice now. Now is the time. It will be too late the moment you die or the moment He appears. Now is the time.
I’ve included verses that will help you ponder so great a salvation. The most important decision you can make now is what to do with God’s Son, Jesus.
As you read these verses, I pray that you will believe these verses. I pray you will receive Jesus as your Savior. Jesus is the only One who ever claimed to be God. In John 10:30, Jesus said, “I and the Father are one.” This so clearly declared Jesus is God. This is a life-changing statement of truth. Only Jesus could state this.
Please read and ponder these verses today. Jesus is the only way to God. I hope you decide to receive Jesus and claim Him as Lord of your life. He is so wonderful. He will be your dearest friend every day of your life. You will find His friendship the best and His love for you dear and kind. He is worthy of trust, and He has a plan for your life that you would never think of on your own. If you decide to follow Him, you will wonder what took you so long. I know others who would agree with me about this. Please give your heart and life to Jesus today. I’ve never heard anyone say they regret it. Jesus is the way to heaven, and once you know Him, your place is reserved.
If you are reading this and already have this relationship with Jesus, then please share this post with someone you know who needs to know how to get to heaven.
How to get to heaven:
John 3:16 & 17- “For God so loved the world, that He gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.
Romans 3:23-for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…
Romans 6:23- For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Ephesians 2:8-9 – I mean that you have been saved by grace through believing. You did not save yourselves; it was a gift from God. 9 It was not the result of your own efforts, so you cannot brag about it.
Acts 2:21 – And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
John 11:25 – Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me, even if he dies, will live.
Romans 10:9 – If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Years ago, my husband and I shared this wonderful news with a group and when we led them to consider these truths, one man declared aloud to his wife, “Now we know how to get to heaven.” This man was around 90 years of age. The Lord was merciful to him and let him live long enough to believe and receive Jesus in his heart. Maybe wherever you are now, you too will receive this wonderful gift of grace, given freely by Jesus, the Son of God.
Now is the time. May today be the day you can say with assurance, “Now I know how to get to heaven.”
These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.
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Christmas music abounds with scads of beautiful and touching carols, but none has captured my heart more than “Hark the Herald Angels Sing.” I checked a few lists and this triumphant, happy song makes the top 20 Christmas songs. The theology in the hymn is crystal clear, and my heart rejoices to hear and sing it. The imagery of angels singing is not hard to visualize. The story told within the verses is joyful and masterful.
You may pick out some other Christian themes in it, but these are the ones obvious to me.
God sent Jesus into this world to save us.
All the nations rejoiced at His coming.
The angels proclaimed His birth.
Jesus is the highest and all supreme God, born of a virgin.
He deserves our devotion and allegiance.
The Trinity, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit were all present at His conception and birth.
HE IS WITH US.
He is the epitome of hope because He brings life to all who accept Him.
For those who accept Him, death is just a passage to the best life.
He is PEACE, He is RIGHTEOUS, He is LIGHT and LIFE.
He put His glory aside to come to earth as a humble babe.
Those who know Him, one day, will rise to reign with Him. And lastly…
All glory, any amount, should be directed and freely given to Him.
HARK THE HERALD ANGELS SING
Hark! the herald angels sing Glory to the new-born King Peace on earth and mercy mild God and sinners reconciled Joyful, all ye nations, rise Join the triumph of the skies With angelic host proclaim Christ is born in Bethlehem Hark! the herald angels sing Glory to the new-born King
Christ,the everlasting Lord Late in time behold him come Offspring of the Virgin’s womb Hail the Flesh, the God Head Hail the incarnate Deity Pleased as man with man to dwell Jesus, our Emmanuel! Hark! the herald angels sing Glory to the new-born King
Hail the Heaven-born Prince of Peace Hail the Son of Righteousness Light and life to all He brings Risen with healing in His wings Mild He lays His Glory by Born that man no more may die Born to raise the sons of earth Born to give them second birth Hark! the herald angels sing Glory to the new-born King
This carol thrills my soul. Hearing the introductory notes, my heart and spirit get simultaneously glad, and the words bring tears to my eyes. True worship of our King Jesus is contained in this song. It’s easy to see why the angels sing!
“Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests’.” Luke 2:13-14
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The holidays can bring out the best or the worst in all of us. We cram into our schedules unusual activities. We long for scenarios that may never happen, even if it is Christmas. Or, our expectations are sky-high from people that haven’t performed so well up to this point! For some reason, we think the magic of the season will produce a different result or reaction from those who disappoint all year long. The traditions and practices of the season are different from any other time of the year. Everything is different at Christmas.
Why is this?
Is it true that “It’s the most wonderful time of the year?” My mother used to say the whole world seemed to change for the better at Christmas. It seemed to her people acknowledged the Reason for the season. I think she was right. Things were prettier, and people were nicer; the flow of society was happier and more gentle as anticipation grew toward Christmas. The Judeo-Christian values were held dear in most of society, and these values governed so much of our behavior and celebration of the season.
Unfortunately, the world is different, and now more than ever, we must focus on our individual journeys with Jesus to cope with the world as it is. Followers of Jesus must remain faithful to Him and choose Him when much of society isn’t. We truly have to decide to follow Jesus daily.
With that in mind, maybe the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons are more important than ever.
Let’s not allow the darkness to do what darkness does. Darkness will creep into your soul and make you cynical of all that’s happy and bright and of the goodwill still present on this earth. Even today at church, someone asked how she could quit focusing on all the bad in the world.
Here are eight tips for holiday help:
Stay with Jesus – Focus on scripture reading and prayer. Add this to your life if it isn’t already. There are all kinds of Christmas Bible reading plans online. Find one and start it. If you are in this habit already, then keep it going. This daily discipline will save your life and keep you sane.
Enjoy the Body of Christ – If regular church attendance is already part of your life, keep that going. Be at your local church as often as the church holiday schedule allows. Our religious freedom is a gift, and corporate worship is God’s idea.
Pray for the lost – Your friends and family who don’t yet know Him need your prayers. You may have a divine opportunity around them these next few weeks. You’ll be ready for it if you’ve spent time with the Father.
Play the sacred Christmas carols – “Grandma got run over by a reindeer” will be heard a thousand times on any radio station. Raise the essence of the season and download some gorgeous, choral or orchestral music, and enjoy the grandeur of these long-held hymns of Christmas.
Love the ones you are with – Be kind, and use manners with those you’re around every day. You will feel better about yourself and your relationship with the Lord.
Teach the traditional– Christmas carols, old movies, poetry from days gone by, and lasting beliefs. Snuggle up and share storybooks of Jesus coming to earth. Focus on the biblical more than the secular.
Keep good routines – If you have good habits such as eating right, going to bed at a regular time, or exercise, then keep it up. If not, start. All these things are remedies for stress.
Serve others – This is basic Christianity and should be done regularly anyway. Work in your local church as there’s often a need for volunteers to greet at the Christmas services, serve meals, or buy presents for others.
Live Christlike – There is incredible suffering, and people who know you are watching you. You can bring the light of Jesus to your world. If you have a stressful schedule, figure out your “no’s,” dig deeper, and lean on Jesus.
The darkness of this world can breed cynicism in all of us. As followers of Jesus, we have His light within us, and we can be vigilant to keep the light burning as steady as a lighthouse. Let’s not cave into the world’s darkness. Let’s live as children of the Light because the world has nothing to offer to us. They are searching for the Light. We have to remember…Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Joy to the world, the Lord is come; Let earth receive her King; Let every heart prepare Him room, And heaven and nature sing, And heaven and nature sing, And heaven, and heaven and nature sing.
Covid19 is still here. It’s impacted our lives, and I don’t need to tell you how. It’s quite hard to believe all the changes. We are wondering will things go back to normal. Here are some questions to ponder.
Am I still the same?
Am I changed?
Am I closer to Jesus now?
Do I love His Word more?
Do I hear God speaking to me?
Is there sin in my life that I need to confess and take action to flee?
Of course, we can always choose to be alone with God. A pandemic doesn’t have to be the reason. Do you have gaps in your days because of Covid? These are opportunities. And Jesus is better than any lottery ticket. He is dependable.
When all around you changes, He is not and will not. He can’t. Hebrews has a verse full of stability and promise, which says, “Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever.” A world to our expectations is not part of the deal. Actually, in John 16: Jesus says, “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 overcomethe world.”
The other morning as I was in my quiet time, I came across all of these gems. Maybe reading these will inspire you to fellowship with God through His Word. There are many more scriptures like these that give testimony to the benefits of reading God’s Word. Ponder these few.
Who knew memorizing it could help you not to sin.
2. This verse clearly explains the usefulness of reading and applying Scripture.3. Wow, let’s pray we love reading God’s Word more than food. 4. Jeremiah expresses a desire to read the Scripture and expresses the benefit. If you don’t have this desire, then pray for it. That is a prayer God will answer.5. Scripture comes straight from the Lord. Living by it is wise—every word.
Today is the day to invest your time in reading God’s wonderful word. I have several blogs on this website on writing scripture which guarantees to slow down the brain and bring peace. Here’s one. FREE PRINTABLES are at the top of this site for you to work and enjoy. Suppose you don’t have the desire to get more of God’s Word in your life, pray for it. If you live in sin, you can’t hear from God, even if you are a believer. Confess that sin, get out of the sin, and start again living a life that brings glory to Him.
The Bible was not given for our information, but for our transformation. D. L. Moody
Hope is real, and it lives in truth and can’t be mistaken as false hope. When a person makes things way too optimistic regarding something that has a strong chance of not happening, that is false hope. In error, humans often choose this.
False hope, when finished leading you on, leads to despair.
Losing hope teaches us to live in the light of real hope. I’ve had just enough pain in my life to know how valuable hope is to my emotional survival. I’ve experienced its power!
The Bible speaks of 2 kinds of hope.
Eternal Hope. Eternal means it is going to last! It’s without end. God is infinite and without end.
Living Hope. It’s living because it resides inside our spirit. Because of the resurrection, Jesus is our living Savior, our living Hope.
Hope makes life
worth living,
worth striving for,
worth fighting against the darkness,
worth every ounce of directed energy to hang on to,
diminishes skepticism with quiet confidence,
and…
overrides doubt.
There’s no easy path to get to this point.
We may go through storms, dark tunnels, raging rivers, sleepless nights, and the question of why. As we cling to Jesus, we find His promises are true, and He is faithful. In the end, we learn, He is our hope.
Hope has, within its nature, longing for more. That’s when a believer looks to a life promised beyond this. Heaven. Those in Christ have a home in heaven.
Looking forward to heaven is closely aligned with hope.
Hope, for the believer, causes a radically different approach in terms of residing on planet Earth. It’s about WHO is our Hope. Because of Jesus, our spirit is sustained, no matter our circumstances. We, as believers, have the God of Hope living in us. Even in the dark nights of the soul, we have a God big enough to absorb our despair and aching souls. He is our Hope.
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
This concept of hope is too big to cover in one blog. I will post more about this supernatural quality given to every believer in Christ Jesus. Until then…
“Hope is one of the Theological virtues. This means that a continual looking forward to the eternal world is not (as some modern people think) a form of escapism or wishful thinking, but one of the things a Christian is meant to do. It does not mean that we are to leave the present world as it is. If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next.” C.S. Lewis
Christmas music abounds with scads of beautiful and touching carols, but none has captured my heart more than “Hark the Herald Angels Sing.” I checked a few lists and this triumphant, happy song makes the top 20 Christmas songs. The theology in the hymn is crystal clear, and my heart rejoices to hear and sing it. The imagery of angels singing is not hard to visualize. The story told within the verses is joyful and masterful.
2. This verse clearly explains the usefulness of reading and applying Scripture.
3. Wow, let’s pray we love reading God’s Word more than food. 
4. Jeremiah expresses a desire to read the Scripture and expresses the benefit. If you don’t have this desire, then pray for it. That is a prayer God will answer.
5. Scripture comes straight from the Lord. Living by it is wise—every word.
Valerie Rumfelt 