God’s Hope

New Year Hope

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For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Luke 11:10 NIV

As we approach New Year, I confess that over the last twelve months, most of what I hoped for, didn’t happen the way I planned, many of my best efforts turned out to be fruitless and looking ahead, I have no idea what will happen next. There is just so much I don’t know, but I do know that God is not the God of hopelessness. But in the middle of our daily battles, He challenges our faith, tests our resolve and then surprises us with grace. Here in our home, our responsibilities concerning our friend Betty who came to live with us after the hurricane in October of ’24 have grown considerably as her dementia has increased and after a minor stroke just after Thanksgiving. Nancy and I struggle along with the help and prayers of friends and several health aides who stop by throughout the week. Each day feels like slogging through a muddy field, but we have hope, though our plans for the coming year are all pretty much on hold. We have a God Who has promised to never leave or forsake, who assures us that in the valleys He will walk with us…with me…with my wife and with our friend Betty. He will keep our family. He will provide answers, and He will carry us in His arms like a shepherd! (Isaiah 40:11) What an amazing hope we have!

Too often when we read today’s verse, we fail to follow through on Luke’s fuller explanation in verses 11-14. Rather than stopping at the open door, Jesus teaches us that no father will give hurtful or dangerous gifts to his children when they ask for things like bread, a fish or an egg. Then He ends with the thought that our Heavenly Father will also give us good things: and the best of all gifts is Himself. He gives His Holy Spirit, to those who ask. What more valuable gift could we possess, who better to guide, what greater hope can we have than the Holy Spirit to lead us into tomorrow? Though it will be a New Year for us, for our Father in Heaven who stands outside of time, every moment is already written in His book. Now I ask that God will bless and keep you as He leads, protects, provides and encourages by His unfailing love and eternal grace through every one of the days ahead!

God’s Good Plans

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For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord. Plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11 ESV

Whether I turn on the news or just crawl out of bed and pour my first cup of coffee, my life usually doesn’t feel perfect or planned by anyone; let alone by God. Instead, things look chaotic, unexpected, and sometimes even dangerous. But through facing my wife’s cancer, suffering through the pain of our son’s divorce, and the death of a close friend’s small child, I have learned, that God has still been in charge. Even in our most chaotic circumstances, He brought things into order and shone His light on our darkest days. Of course, God is in charge of everyone and everything in the universe, but for those of us who are Christians, God has given us a special assurance because of the cross. God showed us His love and mercy on a hill called Calvary, while Jesus went through His darkest, and most chaotic time, during six hours nailed to that terrible Cross. Now in spite of any situation, God promises us that in every circumstance, that He has good plans for our future and a wonderful hope for us today!

Our Blessed Hope

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 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ 
Titus 2:13 KJV

For years, my wife dreamed about us going on a cruise. Though bobbing around on the ocean, trapped on a boat, did not sound appealing to me, I finally agreed to a short cruise. Though I was a little apprehensive, after we found our stateroom and had eaten a delicious supper in the dining room, I began to think that this was not so bad. The next day, we had a great time, roaming around Cozumel and soaking in the hot tub at night. But what I loved most of all were the sunrises. I suppose for folks who have been on many cruises, the sight of the sun rising may be ordinary, but as I held on with one hand to the railing while, clutching my camera in the other, the beauty of the first rays of the sun shimmering over the waves took my breath away.

Yet, as lovely as that moment was, the Bible tells us of a far more beautiful event – The return of Jesus Christ. Just as the sky slowly brightened as dawn approached that morning on the ship, so also, we who are Christians have a little of God’s light beginning to shine in our hearts right now. But one day the Bible says that when Jesus returns this tiny light of ours will be eclipsed by the brightness of the light of Jesus at His return. In today’s verse, the Apostle Paul calls this, “That blessed hope.” and it is the gift that God gives, to carry us through our darkest nights and wildest storms. The blessed hope of Jesus’ return calls us to come out of our cabins, walk out on the top deck of our faith, and look out over the sea, watching for the eternal dawn at the return of Jesus Christ!

Prayer: Father thank you that no matter what we are going through we have a blessed hope as we wait for Jesus to return!