Abounding In Hope

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. – Romans 15:13

What does it mean to be filled with all joy and peace in believing? Have you ever considered God “the God of hope”? Do you abound in hope? Have you met anyone who abounds in hope? How do they live?

This story was sent to me:
A little girl walked daily to and from school. Though the weather that morning was questionable and clouds were forming, she made her daily trip to school.
As the afternoon progressed, the winds whipped up, along with thunder and lightning. The mother of the little girl felt concerned that her daughter would be frightened as she walked home from school, and she herself feared that the electrical storm might harm her child. Following the roar of thunder, lightning, like a flaming sword would cut through the sky.
Full of concern, the mother quickly got in her car and drove along the route to her child's school.
As she did so, she saw her little girl walking along, but at each flash of lightning, the child would stop, look up and smile. Another and another were to follow quickly, each with the little girl stopping, looking up and smiling.
Finally, the mother called over to her child and asked, "What are you doing?" The child answered, "Smiling, God just keeps taking pictures of me."

And maybe that is an image of abounding in hope, yes maybe that is being filled with joy and peace. Knowing that God cares about us so much that God would never abandon us, and looking at fear in the face and smiling. Smiling because God is with us then too, and we aren’t alone. An old English proverb says it best, “Fear knocked on the door and faith answered. No one was there.” Today let us pray that the God of hope may fill us with all joy and peace in believing, so that not only we will not fear, but also that we may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. That’s a good way to be.

With hope and joy,
Garrett

Remaining Calm When God Fights

“You only need to remain calm; the LORD will fight for you.” – Exodus 14:14 (NCV)

Are you weary? Have the times been rough? Is the stress getting to you? Have you tried to remain calm? Has God fought for you before? Do you believe that God will fight for you again?

The Associated Press just wrote an article about a study which found that the youth of today (High School and College students) are five times more likely to suffer from anxiety and depression than youth of the Great Depression Era. Apparently today’s youth have such high expectations for success that the stress to meet those expectations is overwhelming. Looking out at things I am sure that it is not just the youth.
Our expectations for success say that we should each be rich, all have whatever we want whenever we want, have big homes, drive big cars, and all the rest. When these grandiose expectations are not met our existence seems shattered, and then we try to cope with our shattered dreams. Today it is harder to cope than ever before because God is so rarely kept at the forefront of our hearts and minds. We prefer to blame than to pray. We would rather be consumed in anger than ask for peace. We would assume sit in depression than seek the only path to joy.
It is not the success that culture prescribes that promises us peace, it is Jesus Christ who promises us peace, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives.” It was this promise that let Paul joyously proclaim, “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus,” even as he sat in prison. And it was this promise of God’s that let Moses confidently say to a nervous nation, “You only need to remain calm; the LORD will fight for you,” as they saw all the might of Egypt descend upon them.

Putting our faith in Jesus means that we stop putting faith in the promises of the world. The higher rates of anxiety and depression are reason enough to turn to Jesus. We are not meant to go through life scared and alone, stressing out about empty promises that we cannot control. God still runs after us offering a new life, a different life, and a life where we can remain calm and know that somehow, someway God is control and fighting for us. Today let us pray for that life!

With hope and joy,
Garrett

Pure Hearts and a Good Night Sleep

Create in me a pure heart, God, and make my spirit right again. – Psalm 51:10 (NCV)

What is a pure heart like? Do you have a pure heart? How can you receive a pure heart? Why does the psalm writer need to ask God to make his “spirit right again”? Do you ever need to ask this? Do you ask for such a thing when you need it?

I have heard a story a couple of times that goes something like this:
A farmer in the Midwest once put out an ad for a farmhand. He had a couple of people who were interested, but they did not seem well suited for what he needed. After a couple of months another man answered his ad. This man had abundant experience and excellent references. However he ended the interview in an odd way telling the farmer he could count on him, because he could sleep during storms. The farmer was confused by the statement but was so impressed by the man’s credentials that he hired him.
After a while, late one night, a fierce storm came bearing down upon the farm. It was shortly past midnight when the farmer arose in a panic. He got dressed and went outside to try to secure everything before the storm caused severe damage. First he checked the barn. The doors were closed, the shutters were locked, and the animals were all tethered and safe. He checked the hay, but it was secure and covered with tarps. He checked the springhouse, the storage shed, the tractors and the trucks. Everything was secured. He kept running around to make sure that he didn’t miss a thing, but alas it seemed as though everything was taken care of. Finally he went into the bunkhouse and saw the farmhand sleeping soundly. It was then he remembered what the man had said during the interview, “I can sleep during storms.” The farmer thought to himself, “Yes, he is at peace and has done everything well. He can sleep during storms.”

A pure heart and a right spirit prepare us for whatever arrives, and can help those around us when the storms of life inevitably come up. There is a peace that surpasses all understanding available to all within the gift of grace that is Jesus Christ. Today pray for a pure heart and a right spirit and perhaps we will also be people who can sleep during storms confident in ourselves and in our God.

With hope and joy,
Garrett

Pursuing Peace

Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. – Psalm 34:14 (NRSV)

 

What does it mean to depart from evil?  Do you actually do good?  What does your good do for the world?  Why is it important not only to seek peace but to also pursue it?  Where have you found peace?

 

The following story is at http://www.inspirationpeak.com/shortstories/realpeace.html

There once was a king who offered a prize to the artist who would paint the best picture of peace. Many artists tried.  The king looked at all the pictures. But there were only two he really liked, and he had to choose between them.

One picture was of a calm lake. The lake was a 
perfect mirror for peaceful towering mountains all around it. Overhead was a blue sky with fluffy white clouds. 
All who saw this picture thought that it was a perfect 
picture of peace.

The other picture had mountains, too. But these were rugged 
and bare. Above was an angry sky, from which rain fell and in which lightning played. Down the side of the mountain tumbled a foaming waterfall. This did not look peaceful at all.

But when the king looked closely, he saw behind the waterfall a tiny bush growing in a crack in the rock. In the bush a mother bird had built her nest. There, in the midst of the rush of angry water, sat the mother bird on her nest - in perfect peace.

Which picture do you think won the prize? The king chose the second picture. Do you know why?

"Because," explained the king, "peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. Peace means to be in the midst of all those things and still be calm in your heart. That is the real meaning of peace."

 

Doing good for others is to be an anchor of peace in the midst of stress and trouble!  Evil will always surround us, but by seeking peace and pursuing it, we will always provide people who are looking for hope the ability to have it by holding onto ours.  Let us do good by pursuing peace today!

With hope and joy,

Garrett