Christ

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HOPE is a verb!


HOPE – According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary:

intransitive verb
1: to cherish a desire with anticipation <hopes for a promotion>
2: archaic : trust
transitive verb
1: to desire with expectation of obtainment
2: to expect with confidence : trust

EasterNot to worry, I am not giving you an English lesson today.  But, note where the WORLD places what Christian’s think of the word HOPE … in 2nd.  It is NOT archaic for our HOPE to be TRUST nor is it secondary TO TRUST IN OUR HOPE WITH EXPECTANCY AND CONFIDENCE.

If your HOPE this Easter season is faltering and wavering. If you are giving in to circumstances of life, than you need to look towards The Cross and seek His Face, allowing the Holy Spirit to renew your HOPE!

Sing unto The Lord:

“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.
Refrain:
On Christ, the solid rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand.
2 When darkness veils His lovely face, I rest on His unchanging grace; in ev’ry high and stormy gale, my anchor holds within the veil. [Refrain]
3 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. [Refrain]
4 When He shall come with trumpet sound, O may I then in Him be found, dressed in His righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne.” Edward Mote 1834

Easter, you have your proof.  Now stand on His promises, our HOPE – Jesus.

1 Peter 1:3-5 (NASB) “3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living HOPE through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in Heaven for you, 5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

Despite your circumstances, your LIFE, live in the Proof, Standing on the HOPE!

Colossians 3:23 (HCSB)“23Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically,as something done for the Lord and not for men,24 knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord. You serve the Lord Christ. “

 

RENEW YOUR HOPE: Read His Word

Hebrews 6:11  “We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your HOPE sure.”

Hebrews 10:23 “Let us hold unswervingly to the HOPE we profess, for He who promised is faithful.”

Hebrews 11:1  “Now faith is being sure of what we HOPE for and certain of what we do not see.”

1 Peter 1:13  “Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your HOPE fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.”

RBGreenDesigns.com 2020
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Overwhelmed, Take #2!


Task too big?  Job got you down?  House a wreck?  Kids out of control?   Arrrrggggghhhhhhh!   Right?  Wrong.

So I woke up … EARLY (on my off day no doubt.)  You know when you have plans how you just wake up early, even when you did not have to for several hours?  This day was no different, I had plans.   The goal?  Major cleaning.  Ever wake up tired, unable to face the task or the day ahead?  That was this morning.  But, this time as I lay there I started talking with the Lord.

“Lord.  You know I am tired.  You know I am out of remission (I am having a bout with my Lupus), worn down … my get up and go, got up and went.”    And in the quietness of my heart I heard Him say, “I never get overwhelmed, tired, down, out of control.  Leave it to me.”  And so I said, “Lord, I do not want to be discouraged by the overwhelming tasks ahead, but facts are facts.  I am tired just thinking about it, doomed before I start.  Please give me the strength,Lord,  the “uumph” I need to tackle everything.”

I got up, had my devotions and ate my breakfast.  Then I began.  Three loads of laundry:  Darks, whites, permanent press.  I turned and saw a task I needed to handle.  I did it.  Then another one, and I did it … and so on.  By noon I had done so much and I was not tired.  All of a sudden I realized I had not seen it with “overwhelmed eyes”.  I did not see the “big picture”, only small tasks I could accomplish one by one.  I saw as He sees, little bits and pieces.  They make up a big picture, but He sees the details.  Unlike Him, we need to look at the small bits and pieces of the problem, tasks, job, cleaning  …. you get the idea. God can handle looking at the whole thing and not be overwhelmed, that is why we place it in His hands.  When we look at the total picture we just get discouraged.

Remember:

Philippians 4:13 (HCSB) “I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me.”
 

Allow God to break whatever your “it” is down into manageable portions … let Him delve out those portions instead of taking on the whole by yourself.