Hope

Even youths grow tired and weary,
    and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:30-31 

Hope

I have been reflecting on the difference hope makes.

Without it there is despair, depression and sadness.

As christians our hope is secure and sure.  We hope in christ, in our salvation, in God's goodness.  We have hope for eternal life.  We can have hope because he loves us.

It has made a significant difference in my life.  We make a choice of what we hope in a what we hope for.

There is nothing quite like hopelessness.   The feeling like you have no hope, like there is no way your situation will change.   But we have an anchor for our souls.

In my reflections I have just searched for 'hope' on biblegateway.... here are just a few of the verses that came up.  I hope they are encouraging for you.

But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love  Psalm 33:18

Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. Psalm 42:5

Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Psalm 62:5

 My soul faints with longing for your salvation, but I have put my hope in your word. Psalm 119:81

I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope. Psalm 130:5

the Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love. Psalm 147:11

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. Proverbs 13:12

The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; Lamentations 3:25

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

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, Eph 1:18

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 1 Tim 6:17

so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. Titus 3:7

The sufficiency of God

The sufficiency of God.

Today I am challenged by the fact that I seek to be self-reliant and not God reliant.

I am challenged by the fact that in preparing for my holidays I worried and bought things I needed and only prayed and asked God to provide what I could not find.  He did so so well.  But I am humbled that I did not ask him first.  He has provided for me so many times and blessed me with exactly what I have needed.  And yet I worry about what I will wear and whether I will have everything I need.

I am challenged that I should seek first his kingdom.  That I should seek him first.  I once heard the phrase that Jesus should be our first resource and not our last resort.

I am also challenged by what it means to seek first his kingdom.  Most of my prayers are selfish in nature and not kingdom driven.   I am single and in a sense have no one else to think about. And yet I know that life is found in the will of God and not my own will.

I am out of the habit of asking what that is.

Lord help me to remember you.  Thank you for music and for whispering to me.  Thank you for reminding me of you.  Please help me to live life forever listening to you, tasting of you and being satisfied in you.  I am sorry for seeking other things.  For worrying about my image.  Lord please protect us as we travel tomorrow.  Please lead me to pray in a way that honours you.  Please show me how I can be investing in your kingdom everyday.

Knowing God

Tonight's sermon was a plea for us to seek to know God in order to make him known.

I remember the phrase well from my days in YWAM, ('to know God and to make him known' is their moto) we need to know who God is, or we run the risk of misrepresenting him to the world.

The bible; as a book and a story; tells us much of who God is and is our standard.  We are called to be witnesses to what we know.  The more we know (in heart, head and hand) the greater we can represent him.

Even someone who doesn't know God well can still testify to what they know and what they have seen and experienced of him. (the women at the well had one encounter with Jesus and an entire village followed him following her testimony, if i remember rightly though she ran and wasted no time)

It is hard to describe someone you glance at or have simply walked past in the street.  Those however who regularly look at someone could describe them in greater detail.  We have to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, so that we can describe him accurately and vividly, to those who do not yet know him cannot see him.  We will never know him fully until we see him face to face but we testify to what we know.  Like that game where you draw something and have to describe it to someone.  

Our job, I suppose, is to describe him and tell others how they too can see him and know him so that they too can look at him for themselves.   

We have to read the scriptures to know his nature his character and his ways.  

As you can look in a mirror and immediately forget your reflection, so it is hard to describe someone you simply pass in a street.   Even those that knew God well for a time can forget a little of what he looks like if they do not look to him regularly, their descriptions will never be as accurate as those who are looking at him now, when they do see him they recognise and know him as they knew him before.

To really know someone you have to walk with them through all life to see how they react in different situations, to ask them questions, to listen to them.  

I guess the artist in me understands pictures and gets art.  I remember a time when I was in China with a sketchpad, I was drawing an older lady siting on the edge of a plaza.  I remember noticing that she had one arm, something that was not obvious but because I was studying her and drawing her, i had to see the detail to accurately draw and represent her.

To take this even further though, I would have to ask the question, did I actually know her because I noticed something more?  To really know her I would have to spend time with her, to know what makes her smile.

We are called not only to know God and to make him known, but to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.

Our relationship with God is not like someone studying a picture for its technical merit but also appreciating just how beautiful it is.  I think its the combination thats amazing and you can love and appreciate something so much more when you see more of its depth and complexity and the work that went into it.  

The Lord is my Shepherd

Standing at the kitchen sink today I am thinking about Psalm 23.  It is one of my favourites and reminds me of God's faithfulness. 

I am sitting beside quiet waters having walked through valleys and difficult times.  God has brought me to a place of rest and quiet to restore my soul.  My soul is feeling grateful and thankful.  Part of me wants to start travelling again, to get busy, the deepest part of me wants to stop and drink of God's refreshing; to stay a while.  

I hope I can keep my eyes on my shepherd and follow him, to stay while he says it's good, to feel his protection, and to trust his judgement and direction when he says move.  

I am thankful and at peace.

Provision

I am writing this because I want to remember, to declare and to celebrate.  To tell others and to remind myself of God's faithfulness, kindness and provision.

Earlier this year I found out I needed to move.  Due to a family situation I could no longer stay where I was.  It wasn't something I wanted to happen and I was angry.  It took a long time to come to terms with the reality that my willpower was not strong enough to make it go away, I couldn't pray it away, or will it away, I had to accept it.

I sometimes think if I pray hard enough God will do what I want him to, that he will make the pain go away.  God however does not seem to be in the business of waving a magic wand to make troubles disappear.  He will walk with us and give us peace whatever situation we face, but we have to walk through it.  He will walk with us and we can know his presence, peace, wisdom, power and comfort.  All of who he is beside us, within us even.

This was going to be a testimony about God providing me with a house, a fridge, a freezer and all I need.  But the reality is so much bigger than all of that.  God has given himself and not just his gifts.  He has provided for all my needs, emotionally, relationally, physically, spiritually and in every way.  He sees our deepest need and meets it in his way.

God wants a relationship with us, not where we only ask him for what we think we need but where we seek his heart and make his desires our desires.  Not where we are seeking to do good things or be good people.  But where we seek his heart, and his desire for us, for our family, our hometown and our nation.  What is on his heart....    

Thinking new thoughts

Taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.  Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.  We need to think in a way that honours him.  

My thoughts are not always God honouring, I am; as most of us are; selfish, proud and jealous. To name a few of the sins I struggle with daily.  But by his power we overcome.

Today I want to focus on one thought I am overcoming and one thing I have chosen to think differently about.

When friends of mine get together; have children; get married; receive flowers... my heart hurts a little.  My friends seem to receive all my heart deepest desires so effortlessly.

My thoughts can be, 'why not me?' 'am i forgotten?' 'undeserving?' 'is my body going to age too much for me to have children?' 'all the good men are taken,' 'it is hopeless,' 'how am i ever going to meet anyone now?'

The thoughts I am now choosing are these; that if God can provide an amazing Godly man for my friend, then he can do that for me, if it is his will to do so.  God created my body and if he has promised me children and all things are possible for him no matter how old I get.

God is the same, yesterday, today and forever, he has done many miracles before and will continue to.  He can provide for me in every way.

I am attempting to read and know God's word, in such a way that I know the truth and it can set me free and transform my life.  I am choosing faith that says if God can do that for them he can do that for me, as opposed to the jealousy that God in me finds so ugly.  

This simple choice is bringing me joy and changing my life in the everyday.

A Beginning

I am starting this blog with a desire to write and to engage with God.   I hope that the former will help me achieve the latter.  This is the beginning of a new adventure.

At present; if i am honest; I communicate with God and occasionally and spend time with him from time to time.  He hasn't been my favourite person recently so it's been difficult.

This is the beginning of this blog.