Neither Shall There Be Any More Pain

Job 30:26-27 When I looked for good, then evil came unto me: and when I waited for light, there came darkness. My bowels boiled, and rested not: the days of affliction prevented me.

God's Word, more often than not, hits me right where I live. Seems like every time I think I am going to get ahead on projects around the house, I am hit with a flare up that sets me back on my heels so I don't feel well enough to do what I have planned to do. I was feeling sorry for myself and thinking about this the other day.

When I came to read my Bible today I could not believe how accurately Job describes in detail where I have been the last couple of days.

Job 30:26-27 When I looked for good, then evil came unto me: and when I waited for light, there came darkness. My bowels boiled, and rested not: the days of affliction prevented me.

Have you ever been there? It's not fun, I can tell you. After a while you begin to wonder if your life will ever be "normal" again, whatever normal is. But I am so glad that Job throws in a bit of hope. A few days ago I read this gem:

Job 19:25-27 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.

What a wonderful hope to look forward too! And we know from Revelation 21:4 that He will wipe away all tears, and sorrow and pain and death. What a day that will be!

Revelation 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

How Long?

Psalm 74

10 O God, how long will the adversary reproach? Will the enemy blaspheme Your name forever?

This is a question I ask too.

12 ¶ For God is my King from of old, Working salvation in the midst of the earth.

16 The day is Yours, the night also is Yours; You have prepared the light and the sun.

17 You have set all the borders of the earth; You have made summer and winter.

I need to remember Who God is. I should never lose sight or perspective of the God I love and worship even in the midst of wickedness in high places within our nation.

18 ¶ Remember this, that the enemy has reproached, O LORD, And that a foolish people has blasphemed Your name.

19 Oh, do not deliver the life of Your turtledove to the wild beast! Do not forget the life of Your poor forever.

22 Arise, O God, plead Your own cause; Remember how the foolish man reproaches You daily.

Prayer for God to deliver and to act in such a way as to bring glory to His own good name~to plead His own cause is appropriate. However, I need to remember that God doesn't always answer in the way that I think He should. His plans and His thoughts are far higher than mine and He may choose to act in a way that totally baffles me and that I don't understand, yet, He always acts in great wisdom and His plan will prevail in the end. It is times like these when the true essence of trust in God is made clear.

Marsha's Musings: Psalm 16:8-9

What are the requirements for a Christian to have a glad heart, be rejoicing, rest in hope and not be spiritually moved? The answer is so simple, yet such a challenge!

Psalm 16:8 ¶ I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. 9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.

1. Set the Lord always before me Ver. 8. I have set the Lord always before me. David did not by fits and starts set the Lord before him; but he "always" set the Lord before him in his course; he had his eye upon the Lord, and so much the Hebrew word imports: I have equally set the Lord before me; that is the force of the original word, that is, I have set the Lord before me, at one time as well as another, without any irregular affections or passions, etc. In every place, in every condition, in every company, in every employment, and in every enjoyment, I have set the Lord equally before me; and this raised him, and this will raise any Christian, by degrees, to a very great height of holiness. Thomas Brooks.
2. Keep Him at my right hand (always aware of Him) Ver. 8. Because he is at my right hand, etc. Of ourselves we stand not at any time, by his power we may overcome at all times. And when we are sorest assaulted he is ever ready at our right hand to support and stay us that we shall not fall. He hath well begun, and shall happily go forward in his work, who hath in truth begun. For true grace well planted in the heart, how weak soever, shall hold out for ever. All total decays come from this -- that the heart was never truly mollified, nor grace deeply and kindly rooted therein. John Ball.

Keeping the Lord ever before us requires obedience to the New Testament commands that tell us to do all to the glory of God.

1 Corinthians 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do,
do all to the glory of God.

In order to obey this, God has to be foremost in all our thoughts as we go through our day. We can do the most dispised jobs around the house and still have a glad, rejoicing heart if we are doing it with a view to bringing glory to God.

We can be assaulted by bad news, or difficult times, but if we are keeping the Lord foremost in our thoughts, we can still rest in hope and not be spiritually moved by it.

This is a challenge though for me. It takes work to not lean on my own understanding. It takes work to acknowledge Him in all my ways...including how I react to circumstances in my life.

Book Review: Sufficient Grace for Homeschool Moms

Here are some lessons that I've learned in the writing of Sufficient Grace for Home-school Moms, I have a long ways to go on these but this is what God is teaching me:

Plan flexibility into your school year

Be flexible with the curriculum--it's there to serve you...don't be a slave to it.
Be flexible with the schedule
Pray!

Pray your children's salvation
Pray about character issues
Pray for wisdom

Work on spiritual/character issues first, academics second

Cut off contention before it gets a good start.

Teach your kids by example to give glory to God and deflect it from themselves.

Be quick to confess your sins

Strive for patience and calmness in teaching

Take time out when starting to feel frustrated with your children. When calm come back and deal with the situation.

Spend time studying the Bible. Send you roots down deep so the tough times don't topple you over spiritually.

Do what you can no matter how small. Every little bit counts.

Schedule "Mom time"

Evaluate your priorities & revise if needed

Live with your eye on the goal--the high calling of God in Christ Jesus

Don't look around at your circumstances & allow them to distract you with fear

Don't compare your homeschool or your life with anyone else--it will only make you focus on your shortcomings or envy others and cause you to dispair

Watch your tongue--your family and others are listening and learning habits from you.

Keep your focus on Jesus

Remember the blessings of motherhood

Remember that the difficulties of raising, training and teaching your children may come with the reward of children who later bless you.

Look for the good things in your circumstances

Remember God will never leave you or forsake you

Cling to God in the storms of life

Be assured God has a good purpose for what He is allowing

Don't dwell on how big the task is--break it down into baby steps

Take one day at a time

Persevere through the tough times

God is accomplishing His good purposes

Thank God for the difficulties because they give you the opportunity to grow the fruit of the Spirit.

Exercise your faith even when God seems distant and silent

Take measures to manage stress in your life

Do not fret or become anxious over the stress--this only adds more stress

Let the difficulties drive you to God and His Word

Don't strain against the wind of adversity

Turn toward the wind of adversity and let it propel you forward toward Christ

Take time to relax

Depend on God and His grace

Remember that God is already in the future--He goes before you and has a good purpose for all that He allows.

Let the chaos that goes with home-schooling & raising a family remind you that God makes order out of what seems chaotic to us

Rejoice and look forward to the day when God will make all things perfect

Listen to uplifting music

Run your own race--not someone else's

Do what God has shown you to do

Don't try to live up to other's expectations

Say no if it isn't in keeping with the path God has put you on

Know your limits and live within them

See Christ in your circumstances instead of your circumstances

Don't push your kids so you can be proud & brag about what you have accomplished with them

Don't get so busy you neglect time with God

Be careful of complaining

When God sends a trial your way check to be sure it's not for correction due to some neglected area of your life.

Adjust your perception of success to match God's--truth, do justice, love mercy, walk humbly with God, keep God's word, don't deny His name, keep God's commands, persevere

Seek to do all to the glory of God

See complaining as disbelief

Give thanks in all circumstances

Find the positive in your circumstances and give thanks for it.

Ask God's guidance in what you should do each day

Realize you are not invincible--pace yourself

Write stuff down

Temper your temper

De-clutter your life

Get adequate rest, nourishment and water

Remember you are not alone

Be still before God

Find hidden blessings in the trash and other unpleasant tasks of your day

Set fewer goals

Work for 15 minutes then rest if you need too

Play praise music to help your frame of mind

Be responsible and teach your kids to be too

Work on organization

Be diligent--don't get sidetracked if possible

Watch for discontentment

Discipline your children consistently

Never take for granted what God has provided

Marsha's Musings: God's Grace IS Sufficient for Me

Ah, yes! God's grace is sufficient! It is sufficient in the good times and in the bad times. He bestowed grace on me this past week in the form of a suggestion from my doctor. An IV infusion of vitamins has helped me tremendously and God has enabled me to feel so much better and be so much more productive this week as a result.


I realize that I can not put my trust in this, however. My trust must be always in God's sufficient grace and goodness. If I put my trust in this medical intervention and then I suddenly begin to have some bad days, I will come crashing down in despair. My trust must be squarely in God's goodness and grace no matter what the circumstances of life may be. He is in control and He knows what He is doing. I can trust Him no matter what. I praise Him for giving me this extra boost of strength and productivity this week.

Marsha's Musings: Article--What is Your Only Comfort?

This article was so encouraging to me that I wanted to share it with you....click on the link to read the entire article. I wanted to post it all here, but the owner of the article prefers links to their website instead. Marsha

Pastor's Perspective
What is Your Only Comfort?
by Kim Riddlebarger

"... our assurance of salvation and our perseverance in faith are also the work of Christ. “[Christ] so preserves me that without the will of my Father in heaven not a hair can fall from my head.” This is taken from Matthew 10:29–30: “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.” To possess the comfort promised in the Gospel, I need to know that God’s sovereign care extends to all aspects of my life. Nothing happens to me apart from the will of God. In fact, “all things must work together for my salvation” (see Rom. 8:28). God has ordained all things. He redeems us from sin. And in the end, God will turn it to my good...

Marsha's Musings: One Day at A Time, One Hour at a Time

I am continually reminded that God expects me to take one day at a time. He only gives me grace for today. This morning I was awakened at 5:30 with a terrible headache and I knew it was going to be "one of those days". For those of you who also have "those days", here are some tips to get you through it.

• Lower your expectations of what you wanted & planned to accomplish...do what's necessary but don't beat yourself up if you can't do all.
• Put yourself on the timer method. If you have a task you just need to do, set the timer for 15 minutes and then rest for 10, then go back to it for another 15 until you complete the task.
• Don't feel bad about taking a nap during the day if you have too.
• Refresh yourself by laying down flat with your feet up for 15 minutes and your eyes closed...breath deeply and concentrate on breathing from your belly. When you are in pain you tend to breath shallow. Breathing deeply will help relax your body and refresh you.
• Fix easy meals on the days you aren't feeling well....this takes a little planning ahead, but on the good days make extra that can be frozen for the bad days.
• If your pain is caused from inflamation, drink ginger root tea or take ginger root capsules...if you take the capsules make sure you eat something after it or drink lots of fluid so it doesn't open in your throat....they don't feel good when that happens.
• It you have a headache, you might try a cup of green tea. It has just enough caffiene in it that it might ease the headache along with Tylenol. I am not an advocate of caffiene, but if your neck is out and causing constriction of the blood vessels, the caffiene will dialate them to allow the blood flow back to your head, easing the headache. You may want to see a chiropractor or physical therapist if this is a chronic issue.

I hope maybe some of these suggestions will be helpful if you are having "one of those days". Above all, remember to take it one day, one hour at a time and God will give you the grace you need to get through it as you trust Him.

Hope--#7

1Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

In the last devotion we learned not only are we to give the reason for our hope, but we are to do it with meekness and fear. It says to “...be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you...” God will do the rest as you are faithful to give the reason of your hope to them. So often, we get caught up in the idea that we have to convince people to turn to Christ. The result is usually less than desirable when we try to do the Holy Spirit's work. Arguments and debates on theology and doctrine ensue and we become less than meek and fearful in our approach. I know. I've been there and done that.

The idea of fear in our approach to sharing our hope with people intrigues me. The Greek word for fear here is phobos which means literally, “from a primary phebomai (to be put in fear); alarm or fright: --be afraid, + exceedingly, fear, terror.”(Strong’s Greek Lexicon) We know that we are not to be afraid of telling people where our hope lies. Acts 4:13,29,31 all speak of the boldness of the Apostles to speak the word of God. We know from this that our verse isn't telling us to be timid. I think the idea here may be two-fold. We are to fear their eternal condition and we are to be in fear of the holiness of the God we serve.

Isaiah, at the realization of God's holiness said, "Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts." (Isaiah 6:5) Remembering the holiness of God, we need to use our words carefully, allowing God to guide us in what we say so we don't resort to saying things that are not needful. Colossians 4:5-6 tells us to “Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

It's an awesome responsibility to live in such a way that our lives reflect the hope we have in Christ. Recently, there have been circumstances that have arisen in which I have shamefully, taken matters into my own hands instead of living out the hope I have in Christ. I am being convicted by God of the fact that my reactions often are less than holy and do not reflect hope in Christ.

I leave you with this quote from Nancy Missler. "What we must understand is not what God is doing (why has He allowed this?), but what God expects from us." (emphasis mine) He expects us to put Him first in our hearts and be ready to give an answer for the hope we have as a result.

Dear Father, I confess I have failed so many times in this. I pray that You will help me to do better in the future and thank You for Your forgiveness. Amen.

Hope---#6

1Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
In the next two devotionals I plan to take a look at the verse above. I see several things in this verse that we are to do. We are to 1.) sanctify the Lord God in our hearts 2.) be ready to give an answer for the hope that we have 3.) give that answer with meekness and fear.

If we are putting Christ first in our hearts, as this verse commands us to do, eventually others will begin to ask us why we have hope. How does my life reflect Christ to others? How do my reactions to circumstances show others that my hope is in Christ? Talk is cheap. Reactions are deep. I have failed so many times. How often does someone ask me why I have hope? Remember, if you have failed, don't give up, just get up and start where you are. “Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.” (Psalm 37:24)

In the last five devotions we have been exploring our hope and the reasons why we have hope. In review, one of the main reasons is that Christ gave himself for us to redeem us from the curse of sin. It was the grace of God that brought salvation through Christ. It is the grace of God that saves us, not our own righteous works. My own righteous works are as filthy rags. “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” (Isaiah 64:6) My own good works won't get me an inch closer to salvation. God's grace teaches us to live righteously as a result of what God does in our hearts through salvation. (Titus 2:11-14) Salvation is by grace and good works are the outward fruit of what God has already done in us. That gives me hope!

Is your hope shining through? In the next and last devotion in this series we will explore how we are to let our hope shine through.

Dear Father, We so often fail to let our hope shine through when we are in pain or circumstances are bad. Help us to not sorrow in the same way as those who have no hope, but to be able to lift our heads in hope in You in the midst of our pain.

Hope--#5

 

1Peter 1:3- 5 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

I've discovered that hope is a reoccurring theme throughout the Bible and especially in the Epistles. The hope we have in Christ is active and alive. It's not a dead hope. It's a "lively hope". Christ rose from the dead to give us hope beyond the grave. For those of us who have been saved by the grace and mercy of God, this is what keeps us going. God has promised us an inheritance that will not be lost to corruption. In fact, it's in heaven now, reserved just for us.

Another thing that makes this hope a living hope is the fact that it is God's power that keeps us through faith unto salvation. Ephesians 2:8- 9 says, " For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Not of works, lest any man should boast." It's the grace of God through faith that saves us and it's the power of God that keeps us saved, not our own works. All of this is a gift from God. I am so thankful that it's not my own good works that saves me or keeps me saved because if it was I would be in a world of hurt. Isaiah 64:6 tells us, "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." And then in Romans 3:23 it says, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" My own righteous works are like filthy rags beside the holiness of God. There is no way I can even come close to doing enough to make myself worthy of His salvation because even my best works are tainted with sin. So, in light of this fact, that makes the hope I have in Christ a very "lively hope" because without God's gift of grace, faith and keeping power, I would be dead in trespasses and sins. Ephesians 2:1 "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;"

How about you? What is your hope? Is it living or dead? Do you have the hope (certainty) of sins forgiven and a home in heaven? If not, I pray that God will bless you with the gift of faith in His dear Son so that you too can have this "lively hope".

Dear Father, I am amazed at Your love for a sinner like me. I praise You for the hope that You have given me. Help me to walk in that hope even when circumstances are difficult. Amen.

Hope---#4

Romans 5:1 -5 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

This whole passage of scripture is rich with hope! Because the grace of God justifies us through faith in Christ Jesus , we have hope and this hope will not disappoint us because it is all tied up in the love of God and His glory. We may go through tough times in our lives, but God will use these to produce patience, character (as the NKJV renders it) and hope in our lives. Perhaps you wonder, how can tough times produce hope? It has been said that the troubles of this life wean us off the pleasures of this world and point us toward God and heaven. If we can get our eyes off our earthly circumstances and focus them toward heavenly things...toward Christ, then we will have hope. When people can see that we have an eternal hope in spite of our circumstances, it will bring glory to God and we can rejoice.

Hope looks to the future and keeps its eyes on the prize of the high calling of God.

Philippians 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Richard Sibbes (1577-1635)Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)

was a great Puritan preacher. Here is what he says about hope:

"Trust and hope are often taken in the same sense, though a distinction betwixt them hath sometimes its use. Faith looks to the word promising, hope the thing promised in the word; faith looks to the authority of the promiser, hope especially to the goodness of the promise, faith looks upon things as present, hope as to come hereafter. God as the first truth, is that which hope rests on. Trust or confidence is nothing else but the strength of hope. If the thing hoped for be deferred, then of necessity, it enforces waiting, and waiting is nothing else but hope and trust lengthened."

Our hope rests in God. He is faithful. Press on!

Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)

Dear Father, You are faithful. We trust in Your promises. Our hope is in You. Amen.

Hope---#3

Hebrews 6:19-20 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

In part two of this series on hope, I talked about the hope of salvation and the blessed hope of Christ's return. Our verse tells us that this hope is an anchor of the soul. This anchor reaches in behind the veil.

In the Old Testament Jewish temple there was a heavy thick veil that separated the holy place from the Most holy place where God's presence dwelt. No one was allowed in this place except for the High Priest who went in there once a year to atone for the sins of the people. Hebrews 9:7 tells us:

"But into the second (Most Holy Place) went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people:"

There was only one High Priest at a time. Another was not put into office until the one before died. When Christ came and made the supreme sacrifice for our sins on the cross and rose again from the dead, God made Him an High Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. God effectively abolished the need for earthly priests when He made Christ our High Priest for ever. Hebrews 7:24 says,

"But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood." {or, which passeth not from one to another}

At Christ's death the veil in the temple was torn in two.

Matthew 27:50-51 "Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;"

Christ entered the Most Holy Place, offering up His own blood to atone for our sins. The veil was torn open making the way for us to come into God's presence through the righteousness of Christ. This should bring great comfort and hope to us as we meditate on these truths.

The second, third and fourth verses of the old hymn, "The Solid Rock", says,

"When darkness veils his lovely face, I rest upon unchanging grace;

In every rough and stormy gale my anchor holds within the veil.

His oath, his covenant, his blood support me in the whelming flood;

When all around my soul gives way, He then is all my Hope and Stay.

When I shall launch in world's unseen, O may I then be found in him;

Dressed in his righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne."

Dear Father, The words to the hymn says it all. It's Your unchanging grace that is my anchor through all the storms of life. I pray that my readers also have this anchor for their souls. Amen.

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Hope--#2

Titus 2:11-14 ¶ For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

As I was thinking about hope again this week, I was reminded of an old hymn.

"My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness;

I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus' Name."

In this verse we have the whole reason for our hope. Christ gave himself for us to redeem us from the curse of sin. It was the grace of God that brought salvation through Christ. It is the grace of God that saves us, not our own righteous works. God's grace teaches us to live righteously as a result of what God does in our hearts through salvation. Salvation is by grace and good works are the outward fruit of what God has already done in us.

God helps us along on this road to righteous living. The verses above says that Christ gave himself for us to redeem us from all iniquity. However, we often overlook the part that says, "...and purify unto himself a peculiar people...". The Bible speaks of the purifying of silver and gold:

Zechariah 13:9 And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.

Did you see the part where God says He will bring them through the fire? Purification is a painful process. It can take place when we go through trials of various kinds. Just like the impurities of the silver and gold that come to the surface and can then be removed when the metal is heated by the fire, so God takes us through the fire of trials so that the impurities of our lives can come to the surface and be dealt with.

As we go through this purification process we need to remember that we have a blessed hope to look forward to in the future... the glorious return of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ!

Dear Father, These are wonderful truths to meditate on. Give us grace as we are purified here on earth and patience as we wait for Your blessed return. Amen.

Hope--#1

Heb 11:1 ¶ Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen

I recently got a tee shirt for my birthday that has printed on the front, "HOPE...it's a choice" and on the back it says, "My illness is invisible but my HOPE shines through". It is promoting National Invisible Illness Awareness Week the second week in September. This has spurred me on to think about hope, and what my hope is. I plan to do a short series of devotionals over the next few weeks on hope.

Many times I have let circumstances get me down and my hope has not shined through. I struggle with this constantly because my nature is to be melancholy. My hope (no pun intended) is that this shirt will help me to remember that even though my circumstances might not be good I can still let hope shine through and encourage others by it.

The Bible says that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Faith springs from hope. When the Bible talks about hope it is talking about certainty, not just an "I hope so" kind of thing that may or may not happen.

Philippians 3:20-21 says, "For our conversation (citizenship) is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself."

One day God will change our broken down diseased bodies to be like his glorious body. This is one of the things that is not yet seen, but which I earnestly hope for. It is a certainty. It will happen. God promised it.

When circumstances are hard, try to remember that it won't always be this way. There is an end...a glorious end for God's people and there is HOPE!

Dear Father, I thank You that You have given me hope for the future that no man or circumstance can take away. Help me to let my hope shine through the tough times of my life. Amen

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Our Hope

Titus1:1 ¶ Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope;

When I was having a particularly difficult time I received the following encouragement from an email friend:

"We sometimes put our hope in anything that looks like an improvement because we want it so badly, and then when it doesn't happen our hopes are crushed. We need to put our hope in God who is more stable than (our circumstances), and who never changes and you can rely on..."

God often will emphasize the lessons He wants me to learn by either repeating it or expanding on it in some way. This time was no different.

The Sunday following this sage advice, our pastor spoke on the topic of "Our Eternal Hope". He expanded on the hope we have in God. Here is part of what he said:

Our hope is a living, eternally secure hope.
It was

1. Predestined by God--Ephesians 1: 4-7 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
2. Promised by God--Titus 1:2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; Hebrews 10:23--Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
3. Purchased by God--Acts 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
4. Preserved by God--Philippians 1:6 6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
   

Are you having a tough time lately? Are things not going the way you thought they would? Have you had a temporary improvement in circumstances only to head back downhill again? When we place our hope in God instead of improvements in our circumstances, then our joy can't be stolen when things go wrong. I know it is all easier said than done, but God will help us as we come to Him and ask for His help. He has promised grace in our weakness. We just need to lean on that grace. 2 Corinthians 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Dear Father, So often I find myself getting excited over improvements in circumstances only to have my hopes crushed when things suddenly take a turn for the worst. I need Your grace and help to place my hope in You alone...my unchanging Rock and fortress. Amen.

Trusting God Who Raises the Dead #2

2 Corinthians 1:9-10 Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us,

Have you ever experienced the death of a dream? Perhaps you had dreams of how life would be after you got married. Maybe you had dreams about how it would be when you had children or dreams about retirement. Everything changed when the accident happened or you got the medical report or the call from the police station. Your perfect dream died. Perhaps you found a great church and thought it would always be the way you found it, but everything changed and your dream died.

There is good news. We trust in God who raises the dead. He can raise dead marriages, dead relationships, dead churches, dead dreams...anything dead. Sometimes it isn't in His will to resurrect our dreams, but He will replace them with something infinitely better--Himself.

When we open our hands in submission to Him and release our dead dreams to Him, He will give us a new dream of what He wants to accomplish through us. His goal is that we would trust in Him and not in ourselves..."that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body...For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God." (2 Cor. 4:7-15)

Dear Father, You have the power to raise the dead. You also have the power to replace dead dreams with the life that is only in You. Give me grace to lean on your power and find new life in You alone. Amen.

Trusting God Who Raises the Dead #1

2 Corinthians 1:9 But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:

In my days before illness and pain, it was easy to forget that my life and all that I have is from God. I'd tend to go about my days with little more than a meal time prayer toward God. But if something went wrong in my day I'd go running to Him expecting Him to fix it. Many times He graciously did in spite of the little time I gave back to Him. For the most part, I trusted in myself for the things I needed. I was in control of my own destiny.

Enter illness, accident, and chronic pain. Suddenly my life was turned upside down. God knocked the props right out from under me. I realized that I don't have control. Like the Apostle Paul, I had the "sentence of death" in myself. It was the realization that at any moment I could die--anyone could. All it would take is one false move behind the wheel of the car. My self-sufficiency means nothing in light of the fact that every step I take is one step closer to physical death.

The flip side to all of this is the realization that I have no real ultimate control over my life. God does. It teaches me that since I can't trust in myself, I can trust in God who raises the dead! God who raises the dead! What better place is there to put our trust, than in a God who raises the dead?

No, I can't say I have enjoyed the problems I have to deal with. But I must say that I am thankful that God has allowed me to suffer in this way, because through it He has taught me that trusting Him is the only way to make my life worthwhile. He has taught me to spend time with Him like I have never spent before. I have learned more about His love for me during this time of suffering than any other time in my life.

How is it with you? Are you trusting in God who raises the dead or are you trusting in yourself? Has your difficult times brought you into a closer more intimate relationship with Jesus? He is waiting for you to come to Him and entrust your future and your life to Him.

Prayer: Dear Lord, I pray that You will help me to seek Your will in all that I do. Help me to remember that You are the Source of all I have and that You are in sovereign control of my life.

God is Bigger than My Problems

Psalm 139:1 ¶ O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me.
2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.
3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.
4 For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.
5 Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.

Psalm 139 has been a great comfort to me. God knows me intimately. He knows when I sit down and when I get up. He knows and understands my thoughts. He is with me where I go and when I lay down. He knows where I am going. He even knows the words that I am going to speak. He is behind me and before me and His hand is on me. This knowledge is hard to understand because I am a mere human and He is God.

He is all seeing, all knowing, and everywhere present. He knows my pain. He knows when I fall down and get hurt. He knows when I am distressed. He is there and He is in control. His hand is on me. I take comfort in this knowledge of my God.

Dear Father,
You are bigger than all my problems. I thank You for Who Your are, all seeing, all knowing, all powerful, and everywhere present. Amen.